Chapter 332: Chapter 332: The Plot Did Not Succeed
332 The Plot Did Not Succeed
Upon hearing of the rebellion, the ministers below were all in an uproar; some were angrily denouncing it, while others were terrified.
"Everyone remain calm. First, escort the Emperor to a safe place."
Fortunately, Lord Zhang took charge of the situation, stabilizing it and instructing people to escort the Emperor away first.
By then, the sounds of killing and shouting had already reached the great hall. Clearly, the King of Chu was about to break in.
Seated on high, the Emperor was visibly angry but not panicked. She remained steadily on her platform.
Ignoring the ministers’ pleas for her to leave, the Emperor seemed to have a plan, calmly awaiting the King of Chu’s arrival.
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps and shouts, the King of Chu led his army into the great hall, where they stood in confrontation with the Imperial Guard.
Judging by the numbers and momentum, it appeared the King of Chu’s coup was successful. He held his sword, facing the Emperor, all traces of past respect gone, replaced only by the wild arrogance of a victor.
"Pei Siqing, you have greatly disappointed me! I prided myself on treating you generously, yet you dared to rebel!" The Emperor’s voice was filled with anger and disappointment.
"Heh! Aunt, you are old now and no longer capable of managing the affairs of the imperial court. It’s time you relinquished your position."
Pei Siqing scoffed, his words demanding the Emperor’s abdication.
The Emperor slammed her hand on the dragon throne, her voice booming with anger, "Don’t even think about it! How could I entrust the Great Zhou Dynasty to someone with your wolfish ambition!"
"You have truly disappointed me. All my teachings, all the guidance I gave you in the past—it was all fed to the dogs..."
"Aunt!"
Pei Siqing raised his voice, cutting off the Emperor. He scoffed, then said angrily, "Aunt, is there any point in saying such things now? The entire Imperial Palace is under my control. Aunt, do you really think you’re still in a position to lecture me?"
After his harsh outburst, his tone softened somewhat. "Aunt, in this world now, only I... only I am your closest kin!
Those Xiaos, what’s so good about them? In their eyes, we Peis are nothing but outsiders!
But Aunt, you actually intend to pass the throne to Xiao Jing! He’s a cowardly, weak-willed man! What ability does he possess to govern the Great Zhou Dynasty effectively? I won’t accept it! On what grounds? On what grounds!"
"This throne belongs to our Pei Family—the Pei Family! I am the one most qualified to inherit the great succession! Only I! No one else but me!"
Pei Siqing was somewhat hysterical, his features contorted with rage.
Zhao Zhitong, standing amongst a cluster of ministers, watched the scene unfold, her eyes wide like bronze bells.
A palace coup. She had only heard of such things in the stories Grandpa Bai told. To be experiencing it firsthand... the realization was truly shocking. She knew that if the Emperor won, Pei Siqing’s only fate was death. And if Pei Siqing won, her own fate would also be death.
After Pei Siqing finished roaring, he began to force the Emperor to write the abdication decree.
Lord Zhang, incensed, pointed at Pei Siqing, denouncing him as disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unjust—a disgrace to his position as a subject of the Emperor!
Lord Zhang’s faction, naturally dissatisfied, echoed his denunciations, condemning Pei Siqing and his cohorts.
"Heh!" Pei Siqing sneered coldly. "Disloyal and unfilial? Inhumane and unjust? How ridiculous! Since ancient times, the victor is crowned king, and the vanquished is branded an outlaw!"
"I advise you, those who understand the times are truly wise. It’s not too late to pledge allegiance to me now. Once the dust settles, you will learn your fate!"
Those ministers who had long been colluding with Zhuo An and his faction now found their minds stirring with renewed calculation. If Pei Siqing and Zhuo An’s faction were to fall, any subsequent investigation would surely implicate them. It seemed better to cast their lot with the King of Chu and gamble everything!
And so, a few ministers promptly knelt to congratulate the King of Chu.
With these ministers taking the lead, some of the fence-sitting officials also began to lose their resolve, their knees figuratively weakening. Others, however, remained in a wait-and-see posture.
Naturally, ministers of integrity still formed the vast majority, and they merely scoffed at Pei Siqing, dismissing him with contempt.
By now, Pei Siqing felt victory was firmly within his grasp. All he needed was a legitimate pretext, and he could ascend to that supreme, unparalleled position.
He immediately put pressure on the Emperor to write the abdication decree again.
"Aunt, I urge you, don’t be so obstinate. If you write the abdication decree now, I can still allow you to live out your remaining years peacefully within this palace. If you refuse, however, I have plenty of ways to compel you. It’s just that, what happens then..." His voice trailed off meaningfully.
Pei Siqing’s threat did not frighten the Emperor. Her objective had been achieved, and she no longer intended to continue this charade with him.
She couldn’t help but shake her head, a small, weary laugh escaping her. "It is my fault. I reared a tiger only to invite calamity, nurturing you into such a creature of wolfish ambition."
Then, with a sigh, she looked at Pei Siqing, her voice laced with disappointment. "Did you truly believe this Imperial Palace could be taken so easily? Are my Imperial Guard merely for show?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Siqing was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
After asking, he quickly decided the Emperor must be bluffing and immediately puffed up with arrogance once more.
However, before his arrogant expression could fully form, the sounds of fierce fighting erupted from outside the hall. In the next instant, the soldiers behind him were cut down one by one by troops storming in.
In an instant, Pei Siqing and his few remaining soldiers were completely surrounded.
Close behind them were the armored grandfather and grandson of the Feng Clan—General Feng and Lieutenant Feng—accompanied by Song Renying, who was dressed in official robes and appeared perfectly composed.
"Your ministers Feng Wuji and Song Renying pay respects to the Emperor."
As General Feng’s majestic voice resounded, Pei Siqing’s few remaining soldiers threw down their weapons and surrendered. Pei Siqing knew then that he had been utterly duped.
Previously, the Xiao clan’s offspring had framed Song Renying. That plot, designed to kill two birds with one stone, had successfully sown suspicion in the Emperor’s mind against them and led to her key advisor, Song Renying, being demoted and banished from the Capital City. And just two days ago, he had received intelligence from his spies: the border defenses were under strain, and General Feng, accompanied by Lieutenant Feng, had departed for a military campaign. With the Capital City supposedly vulnerable, he had dared to make this desperate gamble. But now it was clear: although Song Renying had indeed left the Capital City, he must have secretly returned at some point. There was no crisis at the border; it had all been a meticulously laid trap, waiting for him to walk right into it, leaving him with no escape. This was a monumental conspiracy! But why had it all unfolded like this? Suddenly, the refined, scholarly face of a man surfaced in his mind. Ding Chen! He had recruited this man as an advisor to his household three years ago. Ding Chen had helped him strategize, suppressing all factions in the imperial court that dared to oppose him. He had even compelled Prince Liang to leave the Capital City, forcing him into an ostensible tour. And the recent scheme to have the Xiao offspring frame Song Renying—that ’kill two birds with one stone’ stratagem—had also been entirely devised by this very Mr. Ding. It was this same advisor who had, step by step, lured him down this final, irreversible path of rebellion! If he hadn’t rebelled... even with all that evidence, his aunt, though deeply disappointed, would at worst have had him imprisoned. His life would have been spared. He might even have had a chance to stage a comeback in the future. After all, he was her own flesh-and-blood nephew. But now... now, death was his only way out.