It took several days to purge the palace. During this time, Yongan’s gates remained shut, but still there was no trace of Emperor Yongtai.
That night, Hang Zhi invited Xing Muzheng to the palace dungeon. Long ago, Gaozu had deemed a dungeon within the palace inauspicious, and had it sealed. Yet in this supposedly abandoned place, from deep within came chilling cries: “Let me out—I am the Son of Heaven—I am the Emperor—”
Xing Muzheng’s gaze flickered. Hang Zhi, holding a torch, led the way deeper into the dungeon. Xing Muzheng silently followed.
At last they reached the innermost chamber. Behind the bars, slumped against the gate, sat a man in tattered rags, his face covered in dirt, weakly and hoarsely crying, “Let me out—I am the Son of Heaven—I am the Emperor…”
That prisoner was none other than Emperor Yongtai whom Xing Muzheng had searched for in vain. Xing Muzheng looked at Hang Zhi, who said: “He was about to escape, but my men caught him.”
Hearing the noise, Emperor Yongtai suddenly turned his head. When he saw the two of them, his bloodshot eyes, long deprived of sleep, widened abruptly. He roared: “Xing Muzheng, Hang Zhi, you traitorous rebels! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you both!”
Xing Muzheng’s face showed not a ripple. “Had you not forced me, I would not have rebelled.”
“Nonsense! Lies! You’ve always wanted to rebel! I knew one day you would turn!”
Xing Muzheng could not be bothered with his ravings. He turned to Hang Zhi: “Why lock him here?”
In the torchlight, Hang Zhi’s gaze was deep and strange. “I thought a runaway emperor would be easier to deal with than a captured one.”
Xing Muzheng was silent for a moment, then curved his lips faintly. He gave a slight nod and turned to leave. Hang Zhi followed close behind, while Emperor Yongtai howled nearly hysterically behind them—but the two ignored him completely.
“How does the General plan to deal with the dethroned emperor?” Hang Zhi asked.
“I promised shizi Wu Ze he would have the first say.”
“The shizi Wu Ze is in the General’s residence… could it be that the General intends to enthrone the Second Prince?”
Xing Muzheng cast a glance at Hang Zhi, who returned the look. Their eyes met midair, each carrying unspoken meanings. Xing Muzheng walked out the dungeon gate, while Hang Zhi shut the lock once more, handing the key to Xing Muzheng. “General may send someone to replace my shadow guards.”
Taking the key, Xing Muzheng slowly asked: “And how does Prime Minister Hang think I should act?”
Hang Zhi only smiled without answering.
The two walked in silence to the front of the Kaiming Hall. Though it was late at night, the towering hall still stood solemn under the moonlight. Xing Muzheng stood below the high steps, hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the seat of ultimate authority.
Standing at his side, Hang Zhi looked steadily at him. “The Hang family has an ancestral maxim—loyalty to the people outweighs loyalty to the ruler.”
Xing Muzheng turned to him. Hang Zhi lifted his robe and knelt. “May the new Emperor govern diligently and cherish the people. This minister… is willing to lay down his life.”
Xing Muzheng slowly helped him up. “Then I must rely on Prime Minister Hang’s support, that we may build a flourishing age together.”
***
Peace returned to Yongan after the rebellion was quelled. Under Master Lu’s geomantic instructions, the palace underwent great renovations. Meanwhile, Xing Muzheng’s subordinates pressed him again and again to ascend the throne.
He refused twice, but on the third time, he relented. The court was overjoyed. Yet Xing Muzheng decided first to fetch Qian Jiaoniang.
Li Qingquan said: “If the Marshal ascends the throne and then goes to bring back the Madam, would it not be even more glorious?”
Xing Muzheng shook his head.
On the day of his enthronement, Jiaoniang must be present.
He ordered men to summon Xing Pingchun, intending to leave him some instructions before personally going to Pingchuan County to fetch Qian Jiaoniang. By his calculations, his elder sister and brother-in-law should also have arrived in Pingchuan with Ni Xue by now.
Suddenly, urgent news entered the palace. Li Qingquan, upon hearing it, turned pale. He hurried into the study, ignoring that Xing Muzheng was in the midst of serious council. He rushed to his side, opened his mouth—yet dared not speak.
Xing Muzheng frowned slightly. “What is it?”
Cold sweat trickled down Li Qingquan’s forehead. He quickly glanced at Xing Muzheng, then dropped his eyes. “Marshal… in Pingchuan County, a sudden plague has broken out. The city… has been sealed off!”
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