"What's this?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"We went with some Eunuchs and Imperial guards and we searched Eunuch Gong's residence Your Majesty, we happened to find this buried behind the building so we got it out and cleaned it." Eunuch Deng replied as the Emperor ceased the box and opened it to look through its contents.
First seeing a couple of papers he pulled out each of them and while his eyes perused through he couldn't seem to believe what he was seeing himself dismayed he clenched his fists.
"What is wrong Your Majesty?" Eunuch Deng asked.
"Get all the able bodied men that you can find." Emperor Ningzong said.
"What?" He responded.
"We are going to do some digging around the Central Palace." He ordered.
"The Central Palace, isn't that......?" Eunuch Deng muttered.
"The Empress' Palace." The Emperor Ningzong replied infuriated.
"Yes Your Majesty." Eunuch Deng hesitantly replied as he bowed his head to him before he withdrew with Beiyuan from the room leaving Lan He and the young man alone in silence.
Empress Han in her Chambers Shaanxi walked in with her head down.
"What's with that expression?" She asked.
"Does Your Highness really not know?" She inquired.
"She made it?" The Empress asked.
"Though still weak Your Highness, His Majesty......" She was saying when she interfered.
"Wants me deposed?" She asked.
"Yes." Shaanxi replied.
"Oh how high we have come and so hard we have fallen." She pointed out.
"You must stay strong Your Highness." Shaanxi tried to encourage her.
"What for?" The Empress asked.
"At least for the sake of His Highness the Imperial Prince." She replied.
The Imperial guards marching into the Courtyard of the Central Palace they starting digging all about the place for hours while the Empress still unaware and confined inside her room she reserved a silence and didn't even make an attempt to try and reveal herself to the world.
Eunuch Deng supervising everything the Imperial guards called him after they excavated what appeared to be corpses of young men and women that were rotting away including the one of Eunuch Gong.
Emperor Ningzong still impatiently waiting in his study till dusk Lan He barged through the doors into the room.
"Your Majesty." He said to him dismayed.
"Don't tell me......." He was still saying when he hesitated half way.
"Your Majesty shall come with me to the mortuary." Lan He replied and the Emperor without wasting any time he quickly strode out of the room negotiating a couple of corners he walked across the Palace until he eventually arrived in the Mortuary where Eunuch Deng and Beiyuan were waiting.
"Your Majesty." They greeted him while his eyes teary he could see about thirty dead bodies around him each one of them being veiled.
"No." He said.
"We found all these corpses in the residence and the Imperial Coroners have asserted these are Eunuchs and Ladies in waiting dating up to three years back." Eunuch Deng muttered.
"And all these were found in the Empress' yards?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"Forgive me Your Majesty, they were buried within the gardens and we could only recognize ten of the thirty six corpses that we found." He replied.
"My Empress was very Virtuous, at least the world believed." He spoke at the point of nearly shedding tears.
"Your Majesty, we are truly sorry." Eunuch Deng said.
"Is Superintendent Gong one of the dead bodies that you recognized?" The Emperor asked.
"Yes." Beiyuan replied.
"I am not surprised at all that it had to be his rather pitiful end the Empress must have felt compromised, as it is that I have a hold of his confessions on all the Innocents that he's buried the last couple of years on the orders of the Empress my heart bleeds as I couldn't help but watch her become someone so cold." The Emperor Said.
"It's not your fault Your Majesty." Eunuch Deng said when one of his other attendants stepped into the room.
"Your Majesty, Yang Jieyu is waiting outside your Chambers to see you." He said when the Emperor looked at him.
"I'll be there in a while." The Emperor replied as the latter withdrew while he turned and looked at all the corpses before he got out.
Yang Jieyu waiting outside his Chambers in the dead of night, he caught sight of her pacing about the place worriedly even when she looked sickly that he got closer and the latter seeing him from a distance she immediately descended the stairs and rushed to him.
"Your Majesty." She greeted with a worried expression on her face.
"I heard that you wished to see me." He said.
"If I may be with Your Majesty in private?" She requested and the latter reluctant he nodded his head in approval as the young girl ceased his hand and dragged her away they slowly took a walk in the gardens hand in hand.
"I heard that you declared that you intend to depose the Empress." Yang Jieyu mentioned.
"It's only proper after what she did." Emperor Ningzong responded.
"I see." Yang Jieyu replied.
"Why is it that you sound sombre, or perhaps you still feel guilty for everything that has happened?" He inquired.
"We are all human Your Majesty, for a moment I won't lie after what the Empress did to me I was very angry but seeing that I shall soon bear Your Majesty a child with those eyes of yours I can't let my anger get to me as it would upset the baby." She said with a hearty smile on her face that looking at her he felt rather distressed.
"How is it that you can be so kind even after everything wrong that the Empress has done to you?" He inquired.
"Because Your Majesty is kind and you live very kind people, because rather than praying for a lighter burden I pray for a harder back even of the world rises and combines all it's powers to contend with me, I shall stand calm and not be afraid." She responded.
"What if I am keeping secrets from you?" The Emperor pointed out.
"Your Majesty shall tell me when the hour is right." She calmly replied.
"Even if you must ache over it?" He asked
"You were alone in this world till I smiled at you, since yesterday, you showed me love that I could hardly express to today, look right now into my eyes and let me stand in this place, where my soul could never part with your embrace." She said to him looking at the stars.
"But I am weak." He pointed out.
"Even if you don't depose the Empress she's so far out of reach she must be too sorry I don't expect her to act up soon." Yang Meizi responded.
"You don't understand, her life has been nothing but pure evil and all that I can feel from her soul is everlasting hatred that creeps from her heart and burns in her eyes, as long as she is alive I fear, no, as long as she is Empress that is, what will become of you my most beautiful one?" He asked while she pulled her head away and raising her teary eyes she looked at him.
"In my heart it's only you, I am hopeless living where you're not, in my head the tale isn't any different, I can stand any heartache but not a reality of you being gone so I only ask that you hold out your hand to me for it's like a fire that burns in me." She whispered to him.
"Then why is it that all I can see is suffering, why is it that I feel you melt and burn from pain and agony, I see you bear a crown of thorns, retribution and eternal misery?" Emperor Ningzong asked as he raised his right hand and held her left cheek.
"Because your Majesty there isn't a thing in this world that could compare to a single moment that I am deprived of your love, when a distance between us is either small or great, it's something I can't try to live with or comprehend." She replied as she bowed her head.
"My beautiful one, my most precious...." He muttered.
"I understand this Your Majesty but you are my freedom and you are my sky, you are the air that is free that I breathe, the light to my already dark world Kuo'er and here I am bound to these chains of slavery, loyalty as a subject should you cease to be a father of the people and become a husband to me then our love shall be no different from a bottomless pit." She remarked.
"Then you should know that it makes me a selfish man." Emperor Ningzong said.
"And I too was prepared when I came to the Palace, I won't lie and say that I had no idea that this was bound to happen, for me all of it could be endured and I could get as low as I possibly could as long as I could see you, as long as I could be a song for you to rely on and a shoulder to cry on." Yang Jieyu confessed.
"It isn't enough." He Said.
"Then what is Sire?" She asked him.
"Whoever breaks you breaks me and for your sake Mei'er I assure you that should anyone lay a finger on you or cause you to shed a tear from sorrow I shall burn this whole world down even if it's the last thing that I shall do." He replied.
The Emperor barged into his study and furiously walking to his seat, he sat down and reclined in it while Lan He followed.
"Your Majesty." He Said.
"Yang Jieyu is still as innocent as ever and it breaks my heart to even face her at this point." He said.
"I understand." He remarked.
"She still thinks that she's with child I fear that a single word from my mouth shall destroy her that I can't help it anymore or try to take it even if I do not wish to punish the Empress I must to allow her some little peace later." Emperor Ningzong said.
"What are you going to do?" Lan He inquired.
"Summon the Grand Secretary." Emperor Ningzong said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Lan He replied as he withdrew from the room while Lady Yang on the other side arriving in her Chambers she sat down as well while Manyin and Xiaoyang settled in front of her.
"You called for us Ma'am?" Xiaoyang inquired.
"I need to meet with all the others." She said.
"Ma'am, it's not safe for you yet." Manyin refused.
"We can't always be seated until the Empress is out of the palace we must keep fighting." She said.
"Yes." The two hesitantly replied.
"Han Touzhou's followers secretly arriving in his Courtyard they were led by Lin Xue into his study and at that moment walking in and taking their seats, the latter walked in much later and joined them as he rested on his seat that was up ahead.
"Your Excellency." They greeted him.
"I won't stall us any longer with a fruitless salutation I was hoping to let you know that I have received news from our intelligence that His Majesty has summoned the Grand Secretary to the Grand Palace." He said to them while they each seemed not shocked in the very least.
"Is it so?" Officer Jiang asked.
"You understand as well as I do the meaning of this." He said to them.
"His Majesty must have come to a resolution already." Minister Xia pointed out.
"It could only mean that he has made up his mind about the position of the Empress and he shall make his stand known to the world by sunrise that's in the daily Assembly that shall be convened tomorrow." Han Touzhou said.
"I suppose it's the end of Her Highness." Officer Jiang Chen spoke up.
"It doesn't have to be." Han Touzhou responded.
"Your Excellency, shouldn't you process the reality of the situation being that the Empress is collapsing sooner or later." Minister Xia muttered.
"And that is why I called you here." Han Touzhou spoke up, "it is because of this awful reality that could entirely destroy us all." He added.
"Pardon me Your Excellency but it's inevitable and that's the bitter truth, we exist to support Your Excellency and not the Empress, if her security is compromised then there's no use defending her anymore." Officer Jiang Chen mentioned.
"You all call yourselves men?" He asked furiously.
"She is your niece which is why for your sake we fill very sorry for her but the reality of life is to live and fight another day." Minister Xia proposed.
"You cowards don't realise that dead or alive we still need Her Highness as an Empress." Han Touzhou mentioned.
"What do you mean?" Officer Jiang asked.
"You are smart enough so don't disappoint me, if the Empress collapses and loses her crown the harem shall need a ruler and someone to run it and that means that the Empress' position being vacant shall need to be filled.
We can't possibly empower the Empress Dowager of the Xie clan since she holds no regard to the politics of both the Imperial Court and the Inner Court the very least we could expect is that sooner or later His Majesty already hoodwinked by that hussy will make her an Empress which will make Zhao Zizhi and his faction gain more power." Han Touzhou responded.
Everyone kept quiet.
"But there's no way on earth and in heaven that the Empress could possibly escape judgement." Officer Jiang pointed out.
"It's impossible for her Highness to escape judgement but it's possible for her to retain her Crown and dignity as an Empress." Han Touzhou pointed out.
"How so?" Minister Xia asked.
"The Crown Prince hasn't yet been designated and according to the customs of the Palace I was hoping that Prince Zhao Jun being the eldest of his Majesty's children would naturally fit the role." Han Touzhou responded.
"What has that got to do with the situation?" Officer Jiang asked.
"His Majesty might be hateful to the Empress but sympathetic to the young Prince and if he intends to protect him, we should appeal that he lets the Empress retain her title even if she's moved out of the palace for the time being we'd stall the possibility of Yang Jieyu rising to the Phoenix throne." Han Touzhou said.
"Yes Your Excellency." Everyone said in unison as they bowed their heads to him.
"Before His Majesty can deliver the Edict to the world to state the position of the Empress we must raise our appeal in defense of the Imperial Prince." Han Touzhou swore.
Yang Jieyu's supporters having gathered in the dead of night at the Lanling Court while she was being secretly escorted by both Manyin and Xiaoyang she got into a room where she found all of them seated and waiting for her presence.
Positioning herself in front of her usual seat they stood up.
"Greetings Ma'am." They said to her as they bowed their heads.
"You can drop the formalities." She responded as she sat down.
"Have you been well." Master Wengong asked.
"As you can see I am doing fine." She said.
"You are all aware of the reason that I called you here." Yang Jieyu said while they each remained silent.
"Yes Ma'am." Wengong replied.
"The Empress is collapsing everyone seems to be aware but we should grasp the situation at hand and understand that it won't be too easy for her to go down without a fight." She mentioned.
"What is she left to do?" Master Bao asked.
"Even I was curious but as it seems a cornered animal will do everything to survive I assert that the Empress already desperate she'd do the very same which is why before she even has a chance to strike at us, I was hoping that we take down her most important piece on the chessboard." Yang Jieyu replied.
"You mean to say......?" Bao Langya was asking.
"Yes." She replied, "Han Touzhou." She confirmed to them while they each fell silent for a moment.
"Is it cowardice that I am reading off your faces or is there anyone amongst you that thinks we couldn't possibly do it?" She asked.
"Han Touzhou is already too powerful Ma'am, to take him down won't be an easy task." She Said.
"I didn't say anything about it being so easy." She muttered.
"Do you have anything in mind Ma'am?" Master Bao asked and the latter smiling at them she pulled from underneath her cloak and envelope which she slid across the table.
"What's this Ma'am?" He asked.
"Evidence to Han Touzhou's crimes, merchants he's dealt with to sell our people into slavery to work for the Jurchens, funds and secret projects whose fulfillment he's pursued and whereabouts to all the ledgers and promissory note that we have accumulated over time for the amount of money that he has personally embezzled along with all the people that he was worked with." She said.
"Ma'am, how did you get this?" Wengong asked.
"I have been watching him for a while and among the people he's dealt with unknowingly is me, I have had him followed he'd even be shocked that they landed in our hands at the very least what's left is to search his house." She replied.
"We don't have that power." Peng Zishou said.
"You are the Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel Your Excellency and the Grand Chancellor though still against our cause if it comes to revealing such a big crime he won't remain silent but rather he'll offer his cooperation." Yang Jieyu responded with a smile on her face.
"Yes Ma'am." Peng Zishou replied.
"Master Wengong shall remonstrate to His Majesty with you and you shall plead to the Emperor and reveal his wickedness." She said.
"Yes." They agreed in unison.
On the brink of dawn the sun rising over the city, Grand Chancellor Zhao Zizhi in the comfort of his abode while preparing to go to the Imperial palace one of his attendants rushed in.
"Someone is here to see you Your Excellency." He said.
"Who could it be?" He asked.
"He claims to be the Vice Minister of Personnel Peng Zishou." The man replied while the latter reluctant agreed to personally go out and see him he stood at the top of the staircase that overlooked his Courtyard where the young man was waiting for him still humbly dressed.
"Your Excellency?" He called while the latter turned around and noticing the presence of his superior he bowed his head.
"What are you doing here when you should prepare for the Daily Assembly?" Grand Chancellor Zhao Zizhi inquired.
"It's just one and a half hours away Your Excellency before I can face His Majesty there's a matter of great importance that I wish to discuss with you." Peng Zishou replied.
"What could it possibly be at this hour?" He asked.
"If you invite me in then I shall be happy to take you through the details." He said that the latter unwilling agreed to the young man's offer they got into his study and sat down at a table while they poured him some tea.
"You may leave us." The Grand Chancellor told his valet who withdrew from the room at once and left the two alone in private.
"Given that it's urgent you shouldn't waste any time and present it to me.
"I ask that Your Excellency not only grants me power but permission to arrest Han Touzhou." He said.
"On which grounds?" He asked while the young man took the same envelope that Yang Jieyu had delivered to them the previous night and sliding it across the table the latter hesitantly took it.
"What is this?" He asked.
"Evidence to Han Touzhou's crimes, merchants he's dealt with to sell our people into slavery to work for the Jurchens, funds and secret projects whose fulfillment he's pursued and whereabouts to all the ledgers and promissory note that we have accumulated over time for the amount of money that he has personally embezzled along with all the people that he was worked with." The latter replied, "our very small but sincere gift." He added.
"You give it to me?" Zhao Zizhi asked.
"Yang Jieyu delivers it to Your Excellency." He responded.
"You must have really garnered a fortune from leeching off that husky." He muttered.
"Husky or not she gave you that seat in which you are seated and raised you above all the men in the whole world including us bureaucrats yet for some reason we wouldn't mind serving her even with our lives because she gives us the one thing that the State and the Emperor can not give us which is wealth and power which unlike many others we are prepared to use for the welfare of the people and not the satisfaction of the government or it's officials." Peng Zishou said.
"Or wasn't it the last hope of the Late Grand Empress Dowager?" Zhao Zizhi asked.
"Were the desires of those two women ever divergent?" He responded with another question as well.
"Such a refined young man." Zhao Zizhi mentioned as he took up the letter inside and read it, "this is sufficient information to have an investigation on Han Touzhou commenced and considering the fact that she got her hands on it then she surely must be as powerful or even more powerful than the Emperor himself." He added.
"Now that you see this it might not necessarily change your stand but innocent people are involved as victims in Han Touzhou's schemes you wouldn't turn a blind eye as a human being even if you did as a politician." Peng Zishou said.
"Clearly it's good to know that she understands me still." He said with a smile on his face as he picked from his drawer a seal which he handed over to the young man.
"Deliver this to the Superintendent of the Capital Police." He said.
"Thank you so much Sir for your cooperation." Peng Zishou said as he took from him the letter once again and the small seal and standing up he bowed his head and smiled at him before he withdrew from the room.
Peng Zishou arriving at the Capital Police he went right up to the Police Superintendent Inspector CHU GONGQIAN.
"I was told that you requested to see me." He mentioned while the latter ceasing the small badge that had been given to him he offered it to the young man.
"This is the Grand Chancellor's emergency seal." He said.
"Yes." Peng Zishou replied.
"How may I be of help?" The latter inquired.
"I need you to issue a couple of search and arrest warrants." The man replied.
"Alright." The young man replied and at once a couple of police regiments were dispatched from the office throughout the capital while Peng Zishou personally led another force to the Left Chancellor's residence.
Lady Han with her four year old son Tawan was seated in her Chambers when her attendant rushed in.
"Milady?" She called in fright.
"What's the matter?" The latter inquired.
"Officers from the Capital Police are here." She replied.
"What?" The old woman said as she immediately got up and leaving the child asleep she rushed out of her room and up to her husband's study where she saw Minister Peng Zishou standing outside.
Furiously she descended the stairs and moved up to him.
"Milady." He said to her.
"I demand that you explain to me the meaning of this and in detail." Lady Han said.
"Forgive me Milady for sounding rude but I am an officer of this nation and it's Minister I am only commensurate to the Emperor and no other however if it is so that you desire to know then I shall satisfy your curiosity as it is that I have received a search warrant to conduct a thorough search of our Left Chancellor's residence." Peng Zishou replied.
"You better be wise to restrain your actions Your Excellency." Lady Han mentioned to him.
"I shall take it as though I heard no such thing from a citizen of this nation ignoring an official order for the welfare of the state and even for the safety of the government and His Excellency it's important that all falsified rumours be silenced and that is as long as the Innocence of a Primary Government official such as His Excellency is proven." Peng Zishou replied.
"Whatever it is I promise you that you shall regret it." Lady Han said to the young man.
"For me Milady the only regrettable moment in my life I have to dread more than even death itself is the collapse of this nation of our forefathers." Peng Zishou replied as he continued his way when one of the officers appeared through the doors.
"Your Excellency, we found something." He said and at once the young man rushed up into the study where a couple of ledgers and promissory notes had been poured onto the ground.
He picked up a few and he looked through them as he smiled at himself.
"Have all these taken to the State Tribunal." He said.
"Your Excellency, Officer Jiang is in charge of it." The latter replied.
"I understand that very well." Peng Zishou replied, "in the mean time we should report to the Assembly before it's too late." He said.
"Yes." The latter replied.
The Courtiers having gathered in the Grand Hall Eunuch Deng announced the Emperor and all the Courtiers falling into order, the young man marched through the aisle and mounted the stairs that led to his throne.
He turned around and faced the ministers as they offered their salutations while the latter sat down.
"I understand that you are well aware of the issue at hand and as it is yesterday I made known to you my intentions to depose the Empress and the reason why." He said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Everyone replied in unison.
"After much deliberation I finally came up with a resolution yesterday and now rather than exposing my intentions I prefer to put my thoughts into actions before you all." The Emperor said as he turned and looked at the Grand Secretary who handed over the Imperial Edict to Eunuch Deng when Han Touzhou stepped forward.
"If I may plead Your Majesty." He said.
"Regardless of whatever it is that you might wish to say to me in defense of the Endless I won't hear it." He pointed out.
"I understand that Your Majesty but I don't wish to speak in defense of the Empress." Han Touzhou said.
"Then what is it?" Emperor Ningzong asked.
"Allow me Your Majesty to speak in defense of the Imperial Prince Zhao Jun." Han Touzhou replied and all the Courtiers surprised by his response the Emperor himself looked startled.
"What do you mean to say?" He asked.
"A couple of months ago Your Majesty informed the world that a Crown Prince would be installed In accordance to the Han Traditions of the dynasty and we agreed even the people know we dare not claim that it shall be the Imperial Prince Zhao Jun but rather we believe that if he is considered the sins of His mother will have him implicated and furthermore for the prestige of the Imperial family we don't think it right to topple nearly two centuries of tradition with a foolish mistake of the Empress." Han Touzhou said.
"If I spare the Empress then the Imperial Prince Zhao Jun will become the son of a sinner and how is it that I shall create for the world an example of a just and sage ruler and seek out justice for Yang Jieyu?" The Emperor asked.
"I didn't ask Your Majesty to refrain from punishing the Empress." Han Touzhou replied.
"I don't seem to find a much humbler interpretation of what you have just said to me Left Chancellor." Emperor Ningzong lashed out.
"The Empress must severely pay for her sins that I agree with everyone in this room but as she can't be deposed of yet with the issue of the Crown Prince lingering and considering the fact that we are already mourning the Grand Empress Dowager we must send her in peace and not in turmoil Your Majesty, please heed my plea." He said.
"Your Majesty please hear us." His supporters said while the infuriated Emperor stood up.
"The mother of this nation has sinned against the Inner Court myself and my people yet for the sake of the Imperial Prince you insist on protecting her then I shall secure your allegiance as well." The Emperor said.
"Your Majesty...?" They cried to him.
"Alive or dead the Empress shall never set foot in this Palace and if she does she rebels against my order I shall consider that no less than treason, for the rest of her life she shall have to work like a commoner to get what to eat and she shall never see the Imperial Prince Zhao Jun ever in her life." The Emperor said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Yang Jieyu's supporters said in unison.
"The Empress shall hereby be exiled to Sichuan province." The Emperor said and furiously he marched out of the hall at once while Han Touzhou and the others slightly disappointed they were left to bow their heads in shame.
Manyin hearing everything that had transpired she immediately rushed over towards Yang Jieyu's Chambers where she got her she got her sipping a cup of tea with a smile on her face.
"His Majesty should have given the order to depose the Empress by now." She said to Manyin.
"Forgive me Ma'am." The latter replied.
"Why?" She asked.
"Han Touzhou interfered nonetheless and using the excuse of protecting the Imperial Prince Zhao Jun they agreed to banish the Empress from the Palace but she'll only retain her title and not her power." Manyin replied.
"Really?" She asked.
"His Majesty furiously declared his own stand and said that alive or dead the Empress shall never set foot in this Palace and if she does she rebels against His order which he shall consider no less than treason as for the rest of her life she shall have to work like a commoner to get what to eat and she shall never ever see the Imperial Prince Zhao Jun ever in her life until the day that she shall breathe her last." Manyin said.
"It doesn't make things any better." Yang Jieyu said.
"I also fear that it must be because His Majesty recalled you pleaded her case he might consider that you don't resent her so it's possible that he is also doing this for you." Manyin muttered.
"I see." Yang Jieyu said.
"She shall be gone from the harem Ma'am that's what matters and dead or alive His Majesty shall never recognize her as his lawful wife which is good enough and if there is something that I know, this for us is much better than nothing." She said.
"The Empress is as good as dead that is it's now Han Touzhou's turn." Yang Jieyu said when Xiaoyang walked into the room and bowed her head to her.
"I have been sent to inform you Ma'am, the evidence implicating Han Touzhou has in deed surfaced and as I speak His Majesty shall receive the notice from the State Tribunal." She muttered.
"If the Empress thinks that it's over this has just started." Yang Jieyu remarked.
"What, an Imperial decree?" Shaanxi asked Eunuch Deng who had turned up in front of them.
"It's His Majesty's will." He replied while the latter stumbled and the Empress having overheard everything she stepped out into the open and fell onto Her knees while the latter unfolded the Golden Scroll.
"THE EMPRESS OF THE HAN CLAN AND MOTHER OF THIS NATION HAS SINNED AGAINST THE INNER COURT, MYSELF AND MY PEOPLE SHE SHALL HEREBY BE EXILED TO SICHUAN PROVINCE IMMEDIATELY. ALIVE OR DEAD SHE SHALL NEVER SET FOOT IN THIS PALACE AND IF SHE DOES SHE REBELS AGAINST MY ORDER WHICH I SHALL CONSIDER NO LESS THAN TREASON, FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE SHE SHALL HAVE TO WORK LIKE A COMMONER TO GET WHAT TO EAT, RECEIVE ONE HUNDRED FLOGGINGS AND SEEK FORGIVENESS TO CULTIVATE HER SOUL TO PURITY UNTIL THE END OF HER DAYS WHERE SHE SHALL NEVER SEE THE IMPERIAL PRINCE ZHAO JUN EVER AGAIN." Eunuch Deng read.
"I the Empress of the Han Clan thank Your Majesty for His benevolence." She said as she bowed her head to him and taking the Edict in her hands she kowtowed thrice.
"You shall now deliver to me Your Highness the Empress' jewels." He said and at once they started to undress the Empress one by one until she was in plain white clothes her attendants crying for her in a matter of time she was outside the Central Palace and standing in the Courtyard, she looked back at the glorious building towering behind her.
"Your Highness?" Shaanxi called to her.
"There's someone that I wish to see before I go." She said.
"Who could it be Your Highness?" She inquired but the latter keeping quiet she only went her way while everyone else followed.
Yang Jieyu in her Chambers Manyin rushed in.
"Ma'am, Her Highness the Empress is here requesting to see you." She said.
"Let her in." Yang Jieyu ordered and at once withdrawing from the room a short while later the Empress Han walked in and bowed her head to her.
"Such a cruel fate, I never thought that I would be seeing you as the Empress sooner or later." She said.
"What's the use of having a crown without power?" Empress Han asked.
"For me crowns and power are practically the same thing I need both of them." She replied.
"You're right." The Empress remarked.
"I was rather surprised when I heard that you are here to pay me a visit before you head out to die in your exile is this not so strange of the proud Left Chancellor's niece and the Empress Han.
"What happens when I walk out of here?" The Empress asked.
"Take a lucky guess." Yang Jieyu responded with a ghastly smile on her face.
"It is rather sad isn't it." She said, "you staked so much to have my crown but now even with it I feel that the reality is the fact that I still posses nothing to call my own." She added.
"Hence I shall let you in on a secret." She said.
"Which is it?" The Empress asked.
"You plotted and had my child killed I know it all and no worries I won't tell the Emperor as it's no use but thanks to you you helped me realize one thing.
"Which is it?" She asked.
"I need all the power in the world." She replied
"Alas Jieyu, you won." Empress Han said.
"Your Highness came here to tell me this at the end of it all?" Yang Jieyu inquired.
"I'm already sinking so what's there that can be done for a poor soul like me?" She replied.
"And you think that it's enough?" Yang Jieyu asked.
"What more do you have to take away from me?" Empress Han asked.
"The ring on your hand." She responded while the latter only veiled it from her sight.
"You see if things had gone your way I would be the one seated where you are begging for my life and that is if you would even be lenient enough to tell me but it wasn't until you told me the story of that diamond some time back that I came to realise myself." Yang Jieyu muttered.
"This is no ordinary ring Ma'am and it only gains purpose with it's wearer I remember I once told you." She said.
"And I could be it's only purpose left in the world, I can be the most powerful woman in the world or perhaps even greater than that." She said.
"But to think that this is the end of me you must be mistaken." Empress Han said.
"In a matter of time you shall come to learn that sooner or later once the Crown Prince is designated there shall be no use in keeping your life and I shall personally have a bowl of poison delivered to you." Yang Jieyu said.
"Beyond this point you think you can have the world you are wrong, there's my Uncle and everyone else supporting the Imperial Prince, do you think that he shall forget what happened to his mother, or do you think that once I am gone you shall rule the harem?" She inquired.
"I was hoping that you learn from this Your Highness, I was hoping that you know that I Yang Meizi are therefore above every scourge upon you and every maledictum against you one by one you shall all fall before me." Yang Jieyu replied.
"I shall remember your words." Empress Han said as she stood up and bowed her head to her and she walked out of the room when Manyin came in.
"What did she say to you Ma'am?" She inquired.
"I need Beiyuan and Xiaoyang in here immediately." She said.
"Yes Ma'am." Manyin replied as she got out as well.
Emperor Ningzong in his study Lan He walked in at that moment.
"Your Majesty, Peng Zishou and Master Wengong are requesting to have an audience with you." He said.
"Let them come in." The Emperor said and the latter complied.
Han Touzhou and Lin Xue arriving at his Manor Lady Han rushed over to them.
"Milord." She greeted him while the latter still studying the atmosphere he noticed that the whole place was disorderly.
"What happened here?" He asked.
"Trouble Milord." She responded.
"What do you mean trouble?" He asked.
"Peng Zishou was here with the Capital Police and they had a search warrant, they discovered the Ledgers and the promissory notes." She replied while the latter surprised his bloodshot eyes widened and he could hardly believe the words that he was hearing.
"What?" He inquired.
"Yes Sir." Lady Han replied.
"Emperor Ningzong quiet with the two men in front of him he stared at his table that had at that moment been filled with ledgers and promissory notes.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Evidence to Han Touzhou's crimes, merchants he's dealt with to sell our people into slavery to work for the Jurchens, funds and secret projects whose fulfillment he's pursued and whereabouts to all the ledgers and promissory note that we have accumulated over time for the amount of money that he has personally embezzled along with all the people that he was worked with." Peng Zishou replied.
"So you are telling me that the Empress' uncle and my Left Chancellor did all this?" He asked.
"Clues had surfaced much earlier Your Majesty and that alone caused us to be suspicious we investigated in depth and found out all the people that Han Touzhou has been dealing with over the years and their illegal business we ceased today being that they were distracted with what had happened to the Empress we rooted them all out and as I speak at the State Tribunal they have confessed everything it's just that by the time I got here for the Assembly I found that it had been concluded." Peng Zishou replied.
"My Ministers and my people, what have these very crude men done to the nation?" The Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, there's sufficient evidence to have him apprehended and as long as you give the order then surely we can have Han Touzhou arrested and brought to justice before the law." Wengong said.
"Please Sire, reveal Han Touzhou's wickedness to the world and root out all those corrupt officials that are dealing with him." Peng Zishou added.
"Who else is aware of this?" The Emperor asked.
"Just us Your Majesty and a couple of the Officers at the State Tribunal and by now I am sure Officer Jiang should be informed." Peng Zishou replied.
"All those involved did so at their own will." Emperor Ningzong suddenly muttered.
"Your Majesty.....?" The others spoke up in protest.
"You heard me." Emperor Ningzong said as he turned around and he looked at the two men in front of him, "you won't say a word of this to any of the other officials." He added while the others kept silent.
"Should I consider that you have agreed or you are showing me your disregard?" He asked.
"If Your Majesty wills it." The two replied in unison and bowing their heads to him they withdrew from the room and left the young man staring at the ledgers and the promissory notes furiously.
Yang Jieyu in her Chambers Manyin, Xiaoyang and Beiyuan settled at the table in front of her.
"You called for us Ma'am." Beiyuan spoke up.
"There's something that I wish to urgently discuss with you and it shall remain between us." She responded.
"Yes Ma'am." They replied in unison.
"As you are all aware the Empress was exiled from the palace and even if she keeps her title she has no power left." Yang Jieyu pointed out.
"Yes." They replied yet again.
"She's still big enough a blockade that we have to get rid of and that means that I can not be Empress as long as she still wears that crown even if she's powerless or not there's only one solution that I am left to consider to ease this burden before it becomes too big." Yang Jieyu said.
"What is it Ma'am?" Beiyuan asked.
"The Empress must die." She replied.
"What!" Xiaoyang exclaimed.
"If we must take the Empress' Crown from her then she has to die." She confirmed in front of them.
"Yes." They said hesitantly.
"In this same country a woman killed her husband to become the Emperor herself so why wouldn't this woman kill another to become an Empress?" She inquired.
Han Touzhou in his residence his supporters gathered in at night and the latter seated in front of them they kept quiet for a while.
"Your Excellency......" Minister Xia spoke up.
"I know what you are going to say." Han Touzhou muttered.
"We heard that all our accomplices have been taken in to questioning at the State Tribunal and soon enough we shall be implicated......" He added.
"There shall be no such thing." Han Touzhou muttered.
"Wengong and Peng Zishou have worked behind our backs and they had the support of the Grand Chancellor they gained command of the Capital Police which gave them a most sufficient resolution to force our men to come out of hiding." Officer Jiang muttered.
"At this rate we can't lose anymore and I am very sure His Majesty is equally unwilling." Han Touzhou said.
"What's our guarantee?" He asked.
"Our faction has existed in the Imperial Court since the era of the Gaozong Emperor when our Great Nan Song was re-established independent of the Jurchens our roots run deeper than they can see and if that hussy thinks that she can get rid of us in a single sweep then she is gravely mistaken because even His Majesty benefits from this Balance of power we institute and should it be toppled then more power shall be channeled from the hands of the Crown to the hands of the bureaucrats." Han Touzhou muttered.
"Now that he knows our sins he wouldn't possibly turn a blind eye every time in the very least he shall use them to manipulate us." Officer Jiang said.
"Then regardless of everything that happens the only way that we could possibly redeem ourselves is by proving our loyalty." Han Touzhou mentioned.
"How?" Minister Xia inquired.
"The Empress has collapsed and the Palace shall be in chaos, we can only dread that soon His Majesty might think about raising the rank of Yang Jieyu and it's more fatal for us should she bear him a son we have no choice left but to secure the claim of Imperial Prince Zhao Jun on the Dragon throne as the heir apparent." He mentioned.
"Yes." Everyone replied in unison as they bowed their heads to him.
Yang Jieyu making her way into the meeting room with all her supporters, she sat down before them as they all bowed their heads to her.
"You may sit." She ordered and they complied at once falling into their chairs while she looked at the one that had been designated for the Grand Chancellor Zhao Zizhi which was still vacant.
"Ma'am?" Master Wengong called to her.
"We'll get straight to business." She said.
"Yes." He replied hesitantly.
"We have already revealed Han Touzhou's crimes to the Emperor and His Majesty remains reluctant, that can only mean that he intends to protect them to the bitter end." She said.
"Why?" Peng Zishou inquired.
"The Empress has just collapsed and the Han faction is weak another blow might not allow them to last much longer on the political arena the last resort would be to definitely disintegrate and His Majesty is rather worried that it might cause a fatal distortion to the Balance of power in the Imperial Court." Yang Jieyu replied.
"We can't just idly let that happen." Master Wengong said.
"And neither shall I." Yang Jieyu responded.
"What are you going to do Ma'am especially now?" Peng Zishou inquired.
"His Majesty may be the ruler of this country but he doesn't own it, he may contain and hope to silence the bureaucrats the one thing that he won't be in the position to silence is the people." She replied while all the others surprised they looked at each other.
"We give a throne power to curtail the influence of those evil bureaucrats if it turns against us we take the power from it and seeing that the Grand Chancellor isn't here his involvement I assure you shall force him here soon enough." Yang Jieyu assured them.
"Yes Ma'am." They said in unison as they bowed to her their heads.
Princess Qi'an seated in the darkness of Her Chambers Lanhui walked in.
"Your Highness, Minister Cao is here." She said.
"Let him in." She replied and the latter was showed into the room by the young woman.
"You called for me Your Highness." He said as he bowed his head and the latter not saying a word she took a letter which she slid onto the table and gave to him.
"What's this?" He asked.
"It's a letter from your daughter Lady Cao." She replied, "in it she states that she is pregnant with the Emperor's child which I understand must be good enough but she can't return to the palace as of yet." Princess Qi'an replied.
"Why Your Highness?" He asked.
"Yang Jieyu would give up her child at only two months to gain power if you wish to protect that unborn grand child of yours and that is if he is even a son you shall not allow her to come any closer to the palace until she's eight months pregnant." She replied.
"Your Highness, if we don't act now in those remaining seven months the worst that could happen is that Yang Jieyu could rise to the phoenix throne and you and I should dread that moment, the only person we have around that could contend with her might is Lady Cao......" he was still saying when she smacked the table and silenced him.
"The Grand Empress Dowager is dead and the Empress Dowager even if empowered shall do little to nothing to aid our cause we can not let that bitch become too big a problem it's high time the Palace had the Empress Mother." Princess Qi'an said.
"What?" Minister Cao inquired.
"I trust that Her Highness has already served her sentence well enough the Empress Mother shall return from the Cold Palace to rule the harem." Princess Qi'an replied.
"It's already been too long." Lady Cao said.
"What is it Ma'am?" Linxiang inquired.
"The Empress has been banished from the Palace and naturally there's a political vacuum within the Harem without a very High secondary wife it will be very difficult to run." Lady Cao responded.
"Yang Jieyu will certainly go to every extreme to consolidate her power in the harem, now that the last hamper in her way has been toppled without the Empress and Consort Han she is a free bird." Linxiang muttered.
"We won't let that happen." Lady Cao said.
"What are we going to do Ma'am?" Linxiang inquired.
"It's been a while since His Majesty had some good news and now that Yang Jieyu miscarried it's the perfect opportunity for us to strike while the iron is still hot" Lady Cao said.
"I was waiting for your order Ma'am." She muttered.
"Send word to the Capital and to His Majesty and inform him that I am with child." Lady Cao said as she smiled at herself ghastly.
"Yes Ma'am." Linxiang said as she got up from where she was seated and she withdrew from the room.