Coup
Fang Xianye could see his own surprise and nervousness reflected in the emperor’s eyes. Hesitating cautiously, he said, “Perhaps he encountered some unforeseen circumstances on the way…”
“In these years, I’ve let him do as he pleases with his ambitions. He is indeed a talented general, unmatched in all of Daliang. But such a sharp blade needs to be wielded in my hand and eventually in the hands of the Prince of Jin.” The emperor seemed to pay no heed to Fang Xianye’s words. Having awakened from his slumber, he turned his head to gaze at the ceiling, speaking coldly, “Songyun is adept at judging people. I, too, have never misjudged anyone. Duan Shunxi is indifferent to power and ambition. But without ambition, there is no loyalty either.”
Pausing for a moment, the emperor turned back to Fang Xianye, saying, “Can we afford to keep such a person?”
Fang Xianye felt a tightening in his chest. He immediately stood up and walked to the side, lifting his robe and kneeling on the ground, saying, “Your Majesty, currently, the seventeen provinces north of the Passes are on the verge of being recovered. Acting against General Duan now might only bring more harm than good, allowing Danzhi to reap the benefits.”
“The seventeen provinces north of the Passes…” The emperor’s laughter sounded somewhat disdainful as he spoke lightly, “After the seventeen provinces north of the Passes, who knows whether they will be surnamed Han or Duan.”
“Your Majesty just said that General Duan is not ambitious. It is unlikely that…” Fang Xianye blurted out in his urgency, but immediately realized his mistake and halted his words.
With the sun completely set and the candlelight flickering uneasily, the room was too dim to discern the emperor’s expression. After a moment of silence, the emperor spoke softly, “It seems that you, Fang Xianye, not only bear no grudge against General Duan but even admire him greatly.”
Fang Xianye gritted his teeth and said, “I do all this for the prosperity of Daliang.”
The emperor chuckled lightly, then shifted the conversation to something Fang Xianye had previously said.
“Fang Xianye, you previously stated that you entered government service to alleviate the suffering of the people. Now that you are not with the Prince of Jin’s faction, achieving your ideals may prove to be difficult. However, with the decree I grant you now, you can advance and pursue your aspirations.”
“However, I will add one more condition to this decree. I will bestow upon you the title of Marquis of Zhonghe, appoint you as Deputy Minister of Military Affairs, and Secretary of State. At the same time, since Duan Shunxi failed to come to the rescue in time and harboured thoughts of negligence and rebellion, when he returns to the southern capital, he will be stripped of his military authority and executed.”
Fang Xianye lifted his head in shock to look at the emperor. His mind was in turmoil, but he disregarded etiquette and stood up, walking to the bedside, saying, “Your Majesty… General Duan is not…”
“Fang Xianye, do you intend to be General Duan’s shadow for the rest of your life? He has a prestigious family background, with countless shadows of his own. But your opportunity is now, and only this once.” The emperor did not reprimand Fang Xianye for overstepping. He spoke calmly, “Fang Xianye, if it’s for power, even fathers and sons, brothers will fight each other.”
Fang Xianye stared blankly at the emperor. In the deep black of the emperor’s eyes lay a profound anger.
And beneath that anger, lay something even deeper: malice.
As Master Zhao returned with the evening meal, the emperor summoned him once again and in their presence wrote a secret decree, affixing the imperial seal upon it, before handing it to Fang Xianye.
Under the gaze of everyone present, Fang Xianye knelt stiffly on the ground, extending his hand to receive the decree. In a voice that seemed not his own, he said, “I receive the decree, Your Majesty.”
The decree that fell into his hands contained half his glory and half Duan Shunxi’s grave—a curse the most venomous Fang Xianye had ever seen in his life.
When the emperor fell into a drowsy slumber again, Fang Xianye said to Master Zhao, “The timing is not ripe yet. Please keep this matter regarding the decree confidential and ensure not a word leaks out.”
Master Zhao smiled and replied, “Congratulations, my lord. We understand this matter and will not breathe a word of it outside. When my lord needs it, I will come to testify on your behalf.”
Fang Xianye bowed and said, “Thank you, Master.”
He closed the door behind him and walked with Master Songyun under the eaves of the temple. The shadows of trees danced, and all was silent. After turning a corner, he stopped and called out, “Master.”
Master Songyun turned to look at him. This elderly man, with white hair and wrinkles covering his face, always maintained a serene composure, just as he did when Fang Xianye first met him many years ago.
In Fang Xianye’s real past, there was no such thing as a teacher. He was sold multiple times until he ended up in the household of Duan Chengzhang, where he was chosen to be the fake Duan Shunxi and sent back to Daizhou. At the age of fourteen, Duan Shunxi saved him and brought him to the southern capital, entrusting him to the care of Master Songyun. He was allowed to stay in Jin’an Temple for some time and “coincidentally” encountered Duke Pei, who came to offer incense.
No one could have imagined that Duan Shunxi, who didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas, would have a relationship with the venerable Master Songyun. According to Master Songyun, their bond began when Duan Shunxi, at the age of five, threw stones at him on the road, starting from the moment he returned his mother to him.
Now, as Master Songyun looked at Fang Xianye, he sighed and said, “Amitabha, the emperor is a good friend of mine, and Duan Shunxi is also a friend of mine. Today, this decree, the venerable monk will pretend he never heard of it.”
Fang Xianye bowed deeply and said, “Thank you, Master.”
The emperor’s brief period of lucidity seemed like a flicker of light before fading away. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and when he awoke again, he could no longer speak, only gasping for breath with a lump in his throat that refused to go down.
After more than ten days of chaos in the southern capital, Prince Su finally emerged victorious, capturing Prince Ji alive. He declared the emperor dead and ascended to the throne himself, then swiftly executed Prince Ji, his army, and his advisers on charges of treason.
Songyun sent a message to the Prince of Jin, who took the opportunity while the Prince of Su was lax to secretly take away the emperor. Finally, Fang Xianye was able to leave the Golden Peace Temple and return to his own mansion.
The once bustling streets of the southern capital were now desolate, filled with the smell of burning wood, with bloodstains unwashed on the ground and bodies lying scattered around. The people of the southern capital, who used to stroll leisurely and elegantly, now hurried along the streets, never stopping.
Fang Xianye was somewhat surprised to encounter Duan Jingyuan on the road.
She was wrapped in a cloak and accompanied by a maid, hurriedly passing by on the road. When she saw him, she stopped in surprise.
“At a time like this, why are you still out and about?” Fang Xianye couldn’t help but ask.
Duan Jingyuan took off her hat, revealing a delicate face with a hint of pink in the grey surroundings. She pursed her lips and said, “There’s no more rose dew, and I had to come out to buy it. No one else knows how to pick it, only I can choose the good ones.”
“You…” Fang Xianye didn’t know what to say to her.
“Besides, now that Prince Su has won, my father supports him, and the situation is in our favour,” Duan Jingyuan said, pausing for a moment before hesitantly asking, “But you… Do you think something might happen to you?”
Fang Xianye rubbed his temples and urged her to hurry home. However, the string on her bag loosened, and he quickly caught the bottles inside before they fell to the ground. He put them back in the bag, tied it securely, and instructed her not to go out again anytime soon.
As Duan Jingyuan walked home, she looked down at the bag in her hand, which had neatly tied six-petal knots. She tugged at the knot and muttered softly, “Would he also tie this knot…”
She thought only her third brother knew how to tie it.
Soon after, the Crown Prince held a court assembly. He sat on the dragon throne in majestic attire, while Fang Xianye, dressed in red court attire, stood among many courtiers. Many of the courtiers wore anxious expressions; a new emperor always meant bloodshed, but they didn’t know who would be the target.
As the Crown Prince’s confidants were still speaking grandiosely, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the hall. The young Crown Prince walked in front, and many servants carried the emperor, who was barely conscious, into the hall. The courtiers were immediately in an uproar, and even Prince Su was greatly surprised.
The young Crown Prince eloquently accused Prince Su of attempting to imprison and harm the emperor in the palace, intending to usurp the throne. Without giving Prince Su a chance to refute, he loudly asked the emperor, “Father, is what I said true? Who is the person plotting to imprison and harm you?”
The emperor, weaker than when he left Jin’an Temple, struggled to raise his hand and pointed toward Prince Su.
Songyun delivered a message to the Prince of Jin, who took advantage of the Prince of Su’s negligence to secretly take away the emperor. Finally, Fang Xianye was able to leave the Golden Peace Temple and return to his own mansion.
“Father, shall your son execute this traitor for you?”
The emperor nodded slowly.
“Nonsense! It’s all nonsense! Father has been deceived by villains, it’s you, Prince of Jin, who has abducted Father!” The Prince of Su, pale-faced, rebuked loudly from the throne, ordering his men to seize the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Jin didn’t yield either, and a brawl erupted between his ambush and the Prince of Su’s men, causing the courtiers to scream and scatter. Fang Xianye followed the crowd, seeking cover, and stood behind a pillar, gazing at the emperor in the sedan chair. The emperor, tormented by illness for so long, raised his hand weakly, then let it fall to his side, his eyes weary and cloudy as he slowly closed them.
He had held on until now just for this moment; a ruler, in general, must witness his plans come to fruition.
However, in the chaos of the court, with the curtains torn and blood flowing like rivers, corpses strewn about, no one noticed that the emperor had passed away. Perhaps someone did notice, but at that moment, it wasn’t the most pressing matter.
Someone cried out loudly, and Fang Xianye turned to look, only to see the Prince of Su’s body falling to the ground in a contorted posture, blood pooling beneath him, staining his crown, which he had worn for less than half an hour, with his blood.
The Prince of Jin and his men shouted something loudly, but Fang Xianye didn’t pay much attention. He just looked at the lifeless body of the Prince of Su, whose eyes were fixed on the emperor.
Fang Xianye felt his heart pounding loudly, tangled in shock and melancholy, as he watched the most majestic and yet most sordid chaos in the world.
—”If it’s for power, even fathers and brothers will fight each other.”
Just then, a clear shout emerged from the chaos and bloodshed.
“News!”
The soldier who entered the hall seemed stunned by the scene before him, but he dutifully finished his report.
“Victory! Daliang has won! We have taken Fujian in Youzhou!”
Amidst the noisy chatter of discussion, Fang Xianye stood frozen in place, feeling as though his heart had finally found its footing, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
In the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, in March, Daliang annihilated the enemy forces of 30,000 in Fujian, capturing all of Youzhou, and successfully seized Fengzhou as well. The emperor passed away, and chaos reigned in the southern capital for two months, with the deaths of Princes Ji and Su.
In May of the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, the Prince of Jin ascended the throne and changed the era name to Xinhe the following year.
In September of the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, the Daliang army captured Qingzhou, and Danzhi sought peace.
In November of the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, the emperor summoned Duan Xu, the general of all military forces, to return to the southern capital, and Duan Xu complied.
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