Side Story Chapter 34 - Wang Jiulings Advice! (1/2)

Side Story Chapter 34: Wang Jiuling’s Advice!

Time slowly passed. Suddenly, a storm swept over the capital, and after the storm passed, a case concerning Assistant Minister Chen Yuan of the Bureau of Personnel shook the Imperial Court.

Though it was a case concerning Chen Yuan, everyone within and without the court knew that it was really about the War of the Princes, particularly the struggle between First Prince Li Xuantu, Second Prince Li Chengyi, and the ascendant Third Prince.

As it had been for dynasty after dynasty, the War of the Princes remained the greatest worry and fear of the court officials.

In the previous government, no matter how grave the mistake, so long as one had not done anything treasonous, the most that would happen would be being sent to the border. But when it came to the War of the Princes and the struggle for the throne, everything changed.

Failure meant one’s entire clan being implicated and exterminated.

But everyone knew that there was no avoiding this.

The Tang Emperor was seriously ill, and the Third Prince was bound to use the full extent of his abilities to bring court officials to his side and bolster his own faction so that he could vie for the the Supreme Throne of the Nine and Five.

Chen Yuan was the victim of this struggle.

……

The true storm had yet to pass, and at this time, within the Eastern Palace…

Li Xuantu, wearing a black and gold imperial robe, stood with his hands held behind his back. Behind him were the many advisors of the Eastern Palace.

“How is it? Any signs of activity from Jade Dragon Palace?”

Li Xuantu raised his head, gazing at the rain falling outside the palace as he indifferently spoke.

A deep voice came from behind him. “Your Highness, Chen Yuan’s case is set in stone. It’s too late for the Third Prince to salvage it. Moreover, Your Highness is the Crown Prince appointed by His Majesty, and more than half the court has pledged its loyalty to you. Whether the Third Prince is willing or not, he will not be able to threaten Your Highness!”

This man had a stern expression and a graying beard. His every move radiated the thick aura of a superior. This was the Minister of the Bureau of Punishments, Zhou Yan.

Li Xuantu said nothing, but there was a flicker in his eyes.

Of the Six Bureaus of the Great Tang, the Bureau of Punishments, Bureau of Revenue, and Bureau of Rites were on his side, and there were many other officials who had joined his side besides that. In normal circumstances, victory should have been in his grasp. Yet Li Xuantu couldn’t shake off his deep unease.

“Zhao Wu, how are things on your end?” Li Xuantu suddenly said.

A young man behind Li Xuantu bowed and said, “In Your Highness’s name, I have already gotten in touch with those people. But whether it’s Zhang Shougui, Zhangchou Jianqiong, or Wang Haibin, all of them are devoted to the Third Prince and refuse to change sides.”

Very few people understood that the battlefield of the War of the Princes was not restricted to the Imperial Court. Besides those officials who had pledged loyalty to Li Taiyi, the Eastern Palace had also sent invitations to the generals who had assisted Li Taiyi in the war against the Turks.

“Is that so?”

Li Xuantu frowned, a cold and dark expression on his face.

He was the Crown Prince appointed by the Tang Emperor, the right and proper successor. All land under heaven was the sovereign’s land, and all people in those lands his subjects. Whether they resided in the Imperial Court or on the border, all people should have submitted to him.

“Third Brother, there are some things that are not yours, yet you insist on trying to take them. Do not blame me for what happens.”

Li Xuantu narrowed his eyes, a frightening chill erupting from them.

“Send the orders. Act according to the plan.”

……

At the same time, in Jade Dragon Palace, Li Taiyi had gathered together his subordinates and advisors. Zhang Shougui, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Wang Jiuling, and the others were all present.

“Is the investigation done?” Li Taiyi called out.

“No. We’ve sent our men, and Eunuch Li is working with us, but all of us are helpless to deal with His Majesty’s illness. In addition, we’ve looked at the medicine, and though we didn’t find any problems, we’ve weighed the dregs of two sets of medicine that were taken very closely together. While the dregs had the same composition, they did not weigh the same.”

After some thought, Wang Jiuling sternly said, “If our guess is correct, something in that medicine was removed beforehand. Our opponent is even more cautious than we anticipated!”

The air in the hall turned heavy. Li Taiyi’s brow twitched as his heart sank.

Zhang Shougui suddenly spoke. “Your Highness, this must be the work of the First Prince and Second Prince! We can’t wait any longer. We have to pick up the pace. A decision must be made before the dust has settled!

“It will be too late to do anything once the First Prince is enthroned.”

Abusi, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Wang Jiuling, Gao Lishi, and all the other officials who had joined the Third Prince turned to Li Taiyi, all of them sharing the same thoughts.

“How should we move?”

Li Taiyi shook his head.

“After all, First Imperial Brother is the Crown Prince appointed by Imperial Father, and the Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor preside over court. If I make my move now, it will be taken for treason.”

Everyone fell silent at these words.

It was right and proper for the Crown Prince to inherit the throne. This was a disadvantage that they could not change.

But everyone in Jade Dragon Palace knew that the Tang Emperor’s mind was not set. They had wanted to have the Third Prince made Crown Prince, but when they tried, Virtuous Empress Dou had immediately sent back a rejection.

In truth, the fact that the Third Prince had been allowed to participate in court debates was proof enough that the Tang Emperor was beginning to reconsider making the First Prince the Crown Prince. At the very least, in the Emperor’s mind, the Third Prince had the qualities to inherit the throne.

For generations, the throne of the sovereign had only been occupied by the worthy, not by the one born first.

Most importantly, the Emperor’s worsening illness was inextricably linked to the Eastern Palace. Even if the Eastern Palace wasn’t behind it, it had to know.

A Prince not stopping such a thing was a treasonous action. If the evidence came out proving this, the First Prince would have no right to inherit the throne.

Whoosh!

As they were talking, the flapping of wings came from outside, and then a messenger bird descended, flying through the window and into Li Taiyi’s hand.

“It’s a letter from the Eastern Palace!”

Wang Jiuling and the others glanced over and instantly shivered.

The reports from the spies in the Eastern Palace all had a special sign that only the core members of Jade Dragon Palace knew.

Li Taiyi removed the letter from the leg of the bird, and upon glancing at it, his face turned grave.

“Inform everyone that the Eastern Palace is about to make its move!”

……

This storm’s onset was much faster and fiercer than expected.

Three days later, Zhang Shougui, who was assisting with the strategizing in Jade Dragon Palace, suddenly received transfer orders. The Turks in the northwest were causing trouble again, and Zhang Shougui had been transferred to the border.

In the previous war against the Turks, Zhang Shougui had been granted the title of Left Commandant and had been assigned to the northwestern border. This was actually an empty title, but the Eastern Palace had used it to get him out of the capital.