“Everyone pack up. We leave at once!”
Ning Chen gave the order.
Apart from Pan Yucheng, everyone was left staring.
Li Hongzhuo might have been no good, might have had his elbow turned outward, but he was an envoy of Great Xuan after all… The man was dead. Were they to ask nothing, say nothing, and simply leave?
But they did not ask.
If Ning Chen was doing this, he had his reasons.
Everyone began packing at once.
About a quarter of an hour later, the party rode out of the Hall of Martial Honor, fast and light.
Fu Lu watched Ning Chen and the others go, and only then got into his carriage and set off toward the palace.
The Hall of Sacred Might.
In the court, the ministers had their heads together, and the hall was full of noise.
An envoy of Great Xuan was dead, and every thread pointed to the Prince Regent, Song Tiancheng.
Song Tiancheng’s face was still as water.
Li Hongzhuo had indeed come to his residence last night, but how exactly the man had died, he did not know either.
What he did know was that he had been framed.
“Prince Regent. The peace talks are upon us, and now an envoy of Great Xuan lies dead in our Wu. What do you think should be done?”
The woman emperor spoke slowly.
Song Tiancheng’s face was cold. “Your Majesty, this prince has been wronged.”
The woman emperor waved a hand. “Wronged or not is no longer the point. The point is that a man is dead… and that Li Hongzhuo was President of the Secretariat of Great Xuan’s Department of State Affairs — high in rank and heavy in power.”
“We must give Great Xuan an answer that satisfies them, and quickly.”
“Our treasury is empty as it is. The Tuoluo Kingdom gives us headaches enough… We simply have no silver left to fight a war with Great Xuan.”
“The man died near your own residence, and the threads all point to you… This matter is handed to the Prince Regent to settle.”
“But you had better produce a plan soon. Ning Chen wants to see the murderer within one day… That man is not to be provoked, and if this is handled badly, Great Xuan’s armies will be on our border, and then we are in trouble.”
Song Tiancheng’s face was so dark it was nearly dripping!
“This is Wu. Is Ning Chen going to overturn the sky?”
“If Great Xuan truly wanted war, they would not have sent envoys to Wu to talk peace… We don’t want to fight, and neither does Great Xuan.”
The woman emperor said sharply, “Does the Prince Regent mean that we should pay Ning Chen no attention?”
“Do not forget that the man is skilled in arms and in strategy, and stands high in the Xuan Emperor’s favor… If he is not given an answer that satisfies him, he will certainly not let the matter rest!”
Song Tiancheng ground his teeth.
He glanced at the woman emperor, and anger stirred in him. He thought: don’t imagine I don’t know about you and Ning Chen and your grubby scheming.
This prince raised you to that throne, and you have thrown yourself into another man’s arms.
You are this prince’s, and no one is taking you away… Song Tiancheng roared it inside his own head.
He narrowed his eyes, and a savage smile appeared on his face. “Your Majesty is right. Ning Chen is skilled in arms and in strategy, and a man like that is far too great a threat to our Wu.”
“One death is a death and a whole crowd of deaths is a death. My advice is to kill Ning Chen and be rid of the trouble for good… And if Great Xuan wants war, this prince will take the field himself. Without Ning Chen, Great Xuan’s armies could not stand a single blow.”
The whole court, civil and military, was struck dumb and staring.
To kill the mission was absurd… and the mission they meant to kill was Great Xuan’s.
If it came to that, the peace talks became a provocation. It was forcing Great Xuan to send troops.
The woman emperor said furiously, “Prince Regent, this emperor has told you already that Wu has no silver to spare for a war… Must you leave the people with no way to live?”
“Ning Chen is a marquis of Great Xuan and a favorite of the Xuan Emperor’s… If you kill him, will Great Xuan let the matter rest? You speak lightly of taking the field yourself — where is the silver to come from?”
To the Prince Regent’s ear, the woman emperor’s words were shielding.
He felt the woman emperor was shielding Ning Chen — the adulterer.
Jealousy twisted his features slightly, and he said furiously, “This prince will find the silver. Ning Chen is skilled in arms and in strategy, and a greater threat to our Wu than a thousand armies and ten thousand horsemen. The man has to die.”
The Prince Regent had barely finished when Fu Lu came rushing in from outside the hall in a blind panic.
He was in such a state that he tripped and rolled over several times.
The ministers looked at one another.
“Prince Regent, terrible news! Prince Regent, terrible news…”
Song Tiancheng said angrily, “What do you mean, terrible news for this prince? Flustered and frantic in open court — what sort of conduct is that?”
Fu Lu’s face was full of panic. “Prince Regent…”
“Steady. Get your breath back before you speak.”
Song Tiancheng said it coldly.
He had already guessed what Fu Lu was going to say. Nothing more than that Ning Chen had started applying pressure, demanding they hand over the murderer.
He had already made up his mind to kill Ning Chen, so he was not in the least alarmed.
Fu Lu drew a deep breath, let it out, drew another… and grew altogether calm.
Only then did Song Tiancheng speak, slowly. “Say it. Has Ning Chen been applying pressure, demanding we hand over the murderer?”
Fu Lu shook his head. “No!”
Song Tiancheng paused. “Then what is it? Enough to put you in such a panic.”
Fu Lu said, perfectly calmly, “Ning Chen led his men and butchered the Prince Regent’s residence!”
There was a roaring in Song Tiancheng’s head, and he stood there dumbfounded.
The ministers were staring wide-eyed at the news too.
Song Tiancheng stepped forward and seized Fu Lu by the collar. “What did you say? Say it again.”
He wondered whether he had misheard.
Fu Lu said, entirely composed, “Ning Chen led his men and killed everyone in your household… The whole residence now — not a chicken or a dog left alive, not a blade of grass standing — because he set a fire on his way out.”
Song Tiancheng’s head was roaring, his sight went black, his body swayed, and he nearly pitched over headlong.
Fu Lu said soothingly, “My prince, be calm…”
Song Tiancheng’s eyes were all but shooting fire. My whole family is dead and you tell me to be calm?
“You worthless creature, why didn’t you say so sooner?”
Fu Lu looked thoroughly wronged. “My prince told me to be calm and not to panic.”
“My prince, you had better go back and see. Oh — and Ning Chen has already fled with his men.”
Song Tiancheng rushed for the doors like a madman.
The officials of the court, civil and military, looked at one another, stupefied!
That lunatic Ning Chen had actually butchered the Prince Regent’s residence?
“Ah… To think that a perfectly good set of peace talks should come to this.”
“My beloved ministers may all withdraw. This emperor will send for you if there is anything.”
“Beloved Minister Fu, Beloved Minister Li… you two stay!”
Several officials remained. The rest left.
The woman emperor rose slowly from the dragon throne. “Lord Fu, carry this emperor’s edict — tell Shi Shan he may act!”
“General Li, the Prince Regent’s men are yours. Keep them under watch for this emperor.”
The woman emperor gave several orders one after another.
Fu Lu and the others took their orders and went.
The corner of the woman emperor’s mouth lifted, and she stroked her belly gently, thinking: child, stealing your father’s seed was a move without a single thing wrong in it.
Elsewhere, the Prince Regent rushed out of the palace like a madman.
He fixed his eyes on the distance, and saw black smoke rolling up.
That was the direction of the Prince Regent’s residence… and the Prince Regent’s residence was not far from the palace.
Song Tiancheng’s face flooded with blood, his eyes scarlet. He swung himself onto a horse and roared, “Mu Lei, this prince goes on ahead. Muster the garrison and ride day and night — catch up as fast as you can.”
“Yes!”
Mu Lei took the order and went.
Song Tiancheng, his eyes red, whipped the horse wildly and gave chase toward Great Xuan.
What he did not know was that when Mu Lei mustered the garrison, the garrison seized him instead, and cut him down in the open street on a charge of treason.
(End of Chapter 359)