Chapter 250 Pig teammates
The fifth day of the second month of the second year of Zhengguang, Luoyang, Xuanguang Hall.
Bian Ji, wearing a white cotton monk's robe, walked into the side door of Xuanguang Hall under the guidance of a eunuch.
Just as he entered the Xuanguang Hall, the eunuchs who were originally responsible for searching for contraband did not come forward, but just sat by the brazier and warmed themselves by the fire.
No palace maid came forward to search the people coming out of the Xuanguang Hall.
You should know that it was not like this when Bian Ji came to Xuanguang Hall many years ago.
In order to prevent Empress Dowager Hu from entrusting palace servants to take things like the "Secret Edict" out of the palace, Liu Teng arranged for his confidants to check every person leaving the palace.
Even in the days immediately after the coup, everyone coming out of the Xuanguang Hall had to take off all their clothes and undergo inspection to make sure they had nothing to smuggle before they could leave.
The palace's control over Empress Dowager Hu had clearly relaxed.
Bian Ji felt a lot more relaxed, which was beneficial to what he was planning.
It seems that Liu Teng is really seriously ill.
Walking into the palace, Empress Dowager Hu was sitting in front of the Buddhist temple in the side hall of Xuanguang Hall.
Empress Dowager Hu clasped her hands together and said to the Buddha statue in front of the temple:
"Master Bianji, do you know what this Buddhist temple was originally used for?"
Bian Ji thought for a moment and said:
"When Bodhiruci crossed the sea to the east, the late emperor respected this great monk very much and ordered the establishment of a Buddhist scripture translation institute in Emperor Xuanwu. Could it be that it was in this Buddhist temple?"
Empress Dowager Hu smiled and said:
"The great monk really has magical powers. But apart from this incident, my aunt gave lectures to the late emperor in this temple, which led to my entering the palace."
Monk Bian Ji clasped his hands together. How could he know something that was not even recorded!
Empress Dowager Hu looked at the Buddhist temple and said to Bian Ji:
"That year, I swore to the heavens at night that I would never let God down if I became noble. But since I came to power, I have built many Buddhist temples and accumulated merits. Why did the disaster happen today?"
Bian Ji chanted the Buddha's name and said slowly:
"The Queen Mother is the most noble person in the world. Today's setback is just a minor setback. It will definitely turn danger into safety."
Hearing this, Empress Dowager Hu said quickly:
"Master, please enlighten me!"
Bian Ji looked around and saw that both the eunuchs and palace maids had retreated voluntarily. It seemed that Empress Dowager Hu had already taken control of the eunuchs and palace maids who were guarding her.
Bian Ji then said:
"Right Guard General Xi Kangsheng is willing to support the Queen Mother and Your Majesty."
Empress Dowager Hu was delighted and said:
"There are indeed still loyal ministers in this world!"
Bianji said again:
"but."
"But what?"
Bianji said:
"Although Xi Kangsheng is the general of the Right Guard, the Queen Mother also knows that the guards in the palace only obey orders and not their superiors."
Empress Dowager Hu nodded.
The Imperial Guards were the last line of defense to protect the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The Imperial Guards system of the Northern Wei Dynasty was designed by Emperor Xiaowen himself.
Although it is called a design, it is actually just copying the systems of the Han and Jin dynasties.
The biggest inherent bug in the Imperial Guard system is that on the one hand, it requires the Imperial Guard to be obedient and have no thoughts of their own, but on the other hand, it requires them to be completely loyal to the emperor.
The contradiction lies in that if we want to prevent the Janissaries from becoming a violent organization like the Ottoman Guards that can interfere with the succession of the throne, we cannot allow the Janissaries to have our own ideas and must act entirely in accordance with the orders of their superiors.
But it is impossible for the emperor to command all the imperial guards. What if the person who commands the imperial guards has ulterior motives?
This is what happened during the Xuanguang Rebellion.
The imperial guards led by Xi Kangsheng were responsible for the security of the imperial city. Logically, this army should be loyal to the emperor and the empress dowager.
However, when Empress Dowager Hu and the young emperor were imprisoned, the imperial guards never received orders from the emperor and the empress dowager, and the right guard general Xi Kangsheng, who led them, stayed in the palace and did not go out, resulting in the imperial guards watching the entire coup.
Xi Kangsheng had commanded the Imperial Guards and he understood their characteristics very well.
So he was preparing to launch a coup and needed the support of Empress Dowager Hu.
Bianji said:
"Please ask the Empress Dowager to write the imperial edict in her own hand and I will take it out at the risk of my life and give it to General Xi Kangsheng to mobilize the imperial army."
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Hu was overjoyed at first, but then fell silent.
She raised her head and looked at Bian Ji and asked:
"What will I do if the imperial edict falls into the hands of the traitor Yuan Yi?"
Bian Ji was also stunned. He didn't expect that Empress Dowager Hu would ask such a question first.
Empress Dowager Hu said:
"What if Xi Kangsheng is not loyal to me? He just stood by and watched during the last coup!"
"Or what if Xi Kangsheng's coup fails and my imperial edict falls into Yuan Yi's hands?"
"No, that's too dangerous!"
Bian Ji was completely dumbfounded. He didn't expect that Empress Dowager Hu was really seriously ill!
What is she when a coup d'etat?
Is it playing house?
Is it a business that is sure to make money?
Xi Kangsheng and I both risked our lives to help her, but she was unwilling to even take the risk of a secret letter?
Bian Ji had already understood the character of Empress Dowager Hu, and stopped trying to persuade her. He just put his hands together and said:
"I will convey the Queen Mother's intention to General Xi."
What are you telling me? Bian Ji is ready to jump off the ship!
Empress Dowager Hu then smiled and said:
"Master, please tell General Xi that I will not betray the Xi family's loyalty after the mission is accomplished!"
-
"Your Majesty! Please write the imperial edict, so that General Xi can mobilize the imperial guards!"
Prince of Changle Yuan Ziyou knelt down and begged the little emperor for help.
The young emperor, like Empress Dowager Hu, had a look of hesitation on his face. At this time, he was still thinking about passing the buck.
He said to Yuan Ziyou:
"If we want to write the imperial edict, shouldn't it be written by my mother? It's not like I'm imprisoned in Xuanguang Hall."
Yuan Xu was well aware of the consequences if the secret edict was discovered by Yuan Yi, and he did not want to be the first to be exposed.
Yuan Xu also had something to say. When Empress Dowager Hu was in power, he had no power at all. Now that Prince Jiangyang was regent, he also had no power. Since he had no power, there was no question of losing anything.
But Empress Dowager Hu fell from the pinnacle of power, so she should also bear this risk.
Yuan Ziyou said anxiously and angrily:
"Your Majesty, if you want to win over the Imperial Guards, you still have to rely on your Majesty's imperial edict! Moreover, if the coup succeeds, Your Majesty can also personally inspect the Imperial Guards and bring them into your own pocket, so that you will have the confidence to confront the outer court."
The little emperor was persuaded by Yuan Ziyou, and just as he unbuttoned his pocket and put the pen back after he finished writing, he
"No, King Jiangyang Yuan Yi has always been domineering. If the truth is revealed, I'm afraid he will want to depose the emperor." Yuan Ziyou was furious again and said:
"Your Majesty, Prince Jiangyang Yuanyi is only a distant relative of the royal family. Even if he wants to depose or enthrone, he can only choose from among the descendants of the late emperor. And you are the only descendant of the late emperor. He absolutely dare not depose you!"
"Your Majesty, if the Queen Mother completes the coup, I'm afraid Your Majesty will not be able to rule the country."
The little emperor gritted his teeth, picked up the pen again, wrote a few words, put it down again and said:
"Prince Changle, let's discuss this later!"
Yuan Ziyou was so angry that he was speechless.
Think about those wise and experienced ancestors of the Northern Wei Dynasty who succeeded to the throne at a young age, how come their descendants ended up like this!
Yuan Ziyou had already sensed that the coup was about to fail. After he came out of the palace, he gritted his teeth and asked Su Shun to fetch him some icy river water. He soaked in the ice water for half a day, and finally got rid of his cold and fever. Then he stayed at home, claiming to be sick and unable to go out.
-
At the Right Guard General's Mansion, Xi Nandang returned home excitedly, and the father and son were having a secret discussion in the study.
"Grandpa, do you really want to stand on the side of the Queen Mother and His Majesty?"
Xi Kangsheng said:
"We are the emperor's servants and we must be loyal to him. Our Xi family has been blessed by the emperor for generations. How can we back down on this matter?"
"That day, Master Bianji once told my father that he had killed too many people in his early years, and no matter how many Buddhist temples he built, he could not wash away the karma. Only Fu Zhenlong can sweep away these karmas and accumulate blessings for the next life."
When Xi Nandang learned that his grandfather had returned from the battlefield, he began to suffer from nightmares and from then on became a very devout believer.
After the Xuanguang Rebellion, Xi Kangsheng chose to stand idly by and had nightmares every day since then. He could only fall asleep if he had servants surround his bedroom with torches.
At this time, Bian Ji came to him on his own initiative and "resolved" the karma with just a few words. As a result, Xi Kangsheng no longer dreamed of dirty things.
So when Bian Ji contacted the palace and coordinated with Xi Kangsheng to launch a coup, he agreed immediately.
Xi Kangsheng frowned and said:
"But neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to mobilize the imperial guards."
Xi Nan was a Qianniu guard, so he certainly knew the characteristics of the imperial guards. He also frowned and said:
"So how do you plan to launch it?"
Xi Kangsheng said:
"It seems that I can only scare the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."
"frighten?"
Xi Kangsheng said:
"Tomorrow is the Queen Mother's birthday. This time, all the civil and military officials will go to Xuanguang Hall to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday. This is also the only chance for me, Grandpa, to get close to the Queen Mother."
"I will remind the Queen Mother and the Emperor of their situation during the Emperor's birthday celebration and ask them to issue a secret decree as soon as possible to have me suppress the rebellion."
-
The next day is the Longevity Festival.
The female historian walked into Princess Chenliu's bedroom and said to her as she was getting dressed:
"Your Highness, I don't think it's appropriate for you to enter the palace today."
Princess Chenliu waved her hand, and Luzhu stopped combing her hair. She turned around, looked at the female historian with her clear eyes, and asked:
"Why do you say that?"
The female historian said, "There has been a change in the palace today, Your Highness is best not to get involved."
Princess Chenliu thought for a moment and said to Luzhu:
"Send someone to the palace to tell them that I have caught a cold. Have someone deliver the birthday presents. I will not be attending today."
Princess Chenliu looked at the female historian. This maidservant that Su Ze left for her was surprisingly useful.
The Baowensi was an intelligence agency left in Chang'an after Liu Yu's Northern Expedition. It was good at analyzing the enemy's dynamics from intelligence and public information.
During the days when Su Ze was away from Luoyang, the female historian gave Princess Chenliu advice and helped her avoid many pitfalls.
Princess Chenliu took off her golden hairpin and asked:
"Tell me, what new information have you discovered?"
The lady immediately said:
"Your Highness, I have heard that the roast chicken restaurant in Dongmenli Market has been reserved by people from the palace these days."
Princess Chenliu's face changed.
The roast chicken at this Dongmenli Market tastes good, and she once sent people to queue up to buy it.
The reason why this roast chicken is so famous is that the Grand Chamberlain Liu Teng particularly likes it.
After Liu Teng became seriously ill, no one in the palace came out to buy roast chicken.
However, the information that the female historian received in the past few days was that people in the palace went out every day to buy large quantities of roast chicken.
An answer popped up in Princess Chenliu's mind, that is, Liu Teng's illness has improved.
But Liu Teng's condition has improved, why hasn't he shown up yet?
Princess Chenliu broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for the reminder from the female historian, she might have really been involved in this coup.
-
Xi Kangsheng wore leather armor inside and court robes outside, and walked into the Xuanguang Hall with a swagger.
Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday. Empress Dowager Hu had long ago asked her sister to beg Yuan Yi to allow her to entertain the ministers in the Xuanguang Hall, and Yuan Yi had agreed early on.
But when Xi Kangsheng looked around, he found that the Grand Chamberlain Liu Teng was not there, nor was Prince of Jiangyang Yuan Yi. Among the ministers who came, only officials of middle and low ranks were there. None of the royal princes and important ministers came.
Xi Kangsheng already sensed that something was wrong, but at this point, he had no choice but to go ahead with it.
The young emperor and Empress Dowager Hu sat side by side, and the ministers came forward to toast them. Xi Kangsheng wanted to take this opportunity to speak to Empress Dowager Hu, but was blocked by the eunuch beside her.
Xi Kangsheng looked at Empress Dowager Hu, hoping that she would declare Prince Jiangyang a traitor in front of all the ministers. Then he could lead the imperial guards within the palace walls to revolt and control the palace in the name of protecting the emperor and the empress dowager.
By that time, King Jiangyang Yuan Yi would have lost his legitimacy. Simply by hunting him down and killing him and Liu Teng, Empress Dowager Hu would be able to regain control of the government.
However, Empress Dowager Hu had no reaction to Xi Kangsheng's expression and even deliberately avoided Xi Kangsheng's gaze.
Xi Kangsheng was really anxious. If he wanted to contact the Imperial Guards, he would definitely leave traces. No one knew who among the Imperial Guards was the spy planted by Yuan Yi. Once Yuan Yi discovered his intentions, the Xi family would be doomed.
Then Xi Kangsheng suddenly said:
"I want to dance for the Queen Mother!"
The palace servants who were playing the classical music stopped, and Xi Kangsheng suddenly said:
"I want to dance the Hercules Dance! I wish my great Wei will prosper in martial virtue!"
After saying this, Xi Kangsheng suddenly started dancing.
The Li Shi Dance is also a kind of military dance with vigorous and powerful movements. Xi Kangsheng was also a master of this art.
He danced in front of his ministers, which drew cheers from them.
But every time he turned around and faced Empress Dowager Hu with his back to the ministers, he would make killing gestures such as raising his hands, clapping his feet, glaring, and nodding his head, which frightened Empress Dowager Hu so much that she broke out in cold sweats.
Empress Dowager Hu understood that Xi Kangsheng was forcing her to make a statement in front of all the ministers and declare Yuan Yi a traitor.
But Empress Dowager Hu still pretended to be dead and kept sitting in her seat talking with the young Emperor Yuan Xu.
After Xi Kangsheng finished dancing, his whole body was wet, but Empress Dowager Hu still had no reaction, which made the old general furious and helpless.
This stupid teammate is really hard to lead!
When the banquet was almost over, the young emperor Yuan Xu said:
"I plan to stay overnight at Xuanguang Palace to celebrate my mother's birthday with her."
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of several eunuchs who were "serving" the little emperor changed.
Although the young emperor and the empress dowager are not prohibited from contacting each other in the palace now, the political significance of staying overnight in the Xuanguang Hall is still different.
Moreover, the emperor and the empress dowager were both in the Xuanguang Hall. If someone controlled the Xuanguang Hall, they would control both the emperor and the empress dowager at the same time. This was extremely dangerous.
One of Liu Teng's adopted sons stood up to express his opposition, saying that he had to consult Liu Teng and King Jiangyang before making a decision.
Xi Kangsheng saw hope again.
If the emperor stays overnight in the Xuanguang Hall and the emperor and the empress dowager can reach an agreement, then his attempt to "clear the imperial court" will be more justified!
Xi Kangsheng could only jump out and say, "Your Majesty, I am here with Your Majesty to take things away. Who else do you want to visit?"
(End of this chapter)