Chapter 1117: Before Morning Court

Turning back, Shao Pingbo asked again, "Keep a close watch on the palace. Don't let anything go wrong."

Shao Sansheng replied, "Rest assured, Eldest Young Master. Everything is normal. There shouldn't be any problem, and we'll see the result tomorrow morning. It's just that disciple of the Ghost Doctor. I'm worried he may intervene. I hear he can even cure Red Child poison. If he makes a move, he could ruin things... Eldest Young Master, should we deal with him at the same time and eliminate the future trouble?"

Shao Pingbo turned his gaze toward the evening light outside the window. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "The cultivation world's rumors about the Ghost Doctor make it impossible to tell just how deep his methods run. If we can avoid provoking the Ghost Doctor's people, it's best to avoid them. If the rumors are true, who knows what trouble we might stir up at a time like this? As long as the matter inside the palace erupts, as long as nothing goes wrong there, whether he intervenes or not will no longer matter. Keep a close eye on Prince of the Western Court Hao Yunsheng. Don't give him any chance to back out."

"Yes!"

...

Beneath the vast starry sky, the soldiers were exhausted, yet the army was still marching at a hurried pace.

A rider galloped up and called out loudly, "General, the Grand Marshal's reply has arrived. There really are rebel troops attacking the capital. The Grand Marshal orders us to hurry back at once and reinforce it!"

Ba Yuancheng snatched the letter from the messenger while still on horseback. After reading it, he struck his chest and let out a long sigh, then waved his hand and shouted, "Have the army quicken its pace!"

A general beside him said, "General, the troops are already too exhausted. They can't go any faster!"

Just then, another rider came racing over and shouted, "General, confirmation has arrived from the capital. His Majesty has issued another urgent edict ordering us to hurry back to the rescue!"

Ba Yuancheng looked back at the tired faces illuminated by the marching torches. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth. "Have the infantry halt and rest before continuing. The cavalry keeps moving!"

...

Inside the command tent beside the campfires, Huyan Wuhen stood before a map, his expression grave.

Something had gone wrong. Troops under his command had actually begun disobeying military orders. If intelligence agents spread throughout the various regions had not reported the changes, he would not even have known that forces under him had altered their routes of march.

"Report!" came a shout from outside.

A senior general threw open the tent flap, strode inside, and hurried to Huyan Wuhen's side. Cupping his hands, he reported urgently, "Grand Marshal, it has been confirmed. The southeastern force ordered into Wei to intercept Yin Chu's army has withdrawn. The hundred-thousand-strong vanguard under Ba Yuancheng has also withdrawn. The southwestern force attacking Jin has withdrawn as well. All three armies are racing toward the capital!"

"The capital?" Huyan Wuhen frowned darkly. "Defying orders in the middle of a campaign—what exactly are they trying to do?"

The general replied, "According to reports from relay stations along their routes, all three forces are saying that the Prince of the Western Court and Prince Jin have rebelled and are leading rebel troops in an attack on the capital. They claim they're returning to protect His Majesty."

A cultivator standing nearby said, "Nonsense. Qi's three great sects guard the capital. How could those two casually launch a rebellion?"

The general said, "The story is strange enough, but stranger still, all three armies supposedly returning to protect the sovereign have tied white cloth around their heads, saying it is to distinguish themselves from the rebels."

Huyan Wuhen asked heavily, "The three armies received my orders. Did any of them respond?"

The general replied, "Every message we've sent has vanished like stones dropped into the sea. None of the three armies has replied at all, nor have they submitted any further military reports."

Once those words were spoken, and combined with everything else they had heard, the mood inside the tent abruptly grew heavy.

"What are they trying to do?" Huyan Wuhen shouted angrily.

A cultivator beside him said, "Rebels? The way I see it, they look more like rebels themselves!"

Another cultivator said, "Each of those three armies has people from our three great sects with them. There's no way our people would simply let them rebel!"

One general said, "If this really is rebellion, and they are truly rebelling at a time like this, then there's no need to ask. Jin must be supporting them from behind the scenes. Their purpose is to stop us from reinforcing Wei."

Another general said, "If that's really the case, what do we do? Suppress the rebellion, or reinforce Wei?"

"The commanders of all three armies were promoted by the Grand Marshal himself. How could they rebel?"

"The three armies together amount to nearly a million troops. If they truly rise in disorder, the consequences will be unthinkable!"

Huyan Wuhen barked, "Pass down my order. The main army changes course and moves to intercept Ba Yuancheng's forces!"

"Yes!" The generals cupped their hands and accepted the command.

Huyan Wuhen then turned toward the cultivators of Qi's three great sects. Cupping his hands, he said, "I will assign three flying mounts to you. Have each of the three sects send people to one of those armies and meet with your own sect members. See whether they are still alive. If they are, you must find out exactly what is happening!"

"We obey the Grand Marshal's order!" The elders of the three sects cupped their hands.

The people inside the tent quickly dispersed, each going about his task.

...

Inside the residence of the Prince of the Western Court, Hao Yunsheng had shut himself alone in a room and was pacing back and forth, anxious, restless, and deeply uneasy.

But he had no choice. Shao Pingbo had set his sights on him.

Years ago, the famous pleasure house Among the White Clouds in the Qi capital had been known by everyone to have ties to him. Everyone knew it enjoyed the protection of the Prince of the Western Court. After the court raided Among the White Clouds, Hao Yunsheng had finally managed to clear himself of involvement. He had thought the matter was over.

That had only been wishful thinking.

Shao Pingbo knew the truth about Hao Yunsheng's relationship with Su Zhao, the proprietress of Among the White Clouds. He knew there had never been any relationship between man and woman between them; Hao Yunsheng's public connection to her had merely been a cover to conceal Su Zhao's identity as a member of Xiaoyue Pavilion.

And so someone had come to Hao Yunsheng's door and shown him an item belonging to Su Zhao that he recognized.

Colluding with Xiaoyue Pavilion and intending to use its hand for unlawful ends; secretly helping Xiaoyue Pavilion obtain large numbers of warhorses... Any one of those charges, if exposed, would be enough to cost him his head. If all of them came out together, death would be certain.

Of course, there had been enticement as well as coercion. He had been promised a fief once the affair was over.

Yet what he was about to do still left him deeply uneasy. Pacing back and forth, he muttered, "Hao Yuntu, you were the one who wronged me first. Don't blame me for repaying you in kind..."

He had no idea how many times he repeated similar words to himself. More than anything, it seemed like self-consolation.

He passed the entire night in anxiety, never sleeping, until morning came and a servant knocked to remind him to prepare for morning court.

After washing and dressing in formal robes, Hao Yunsheng left the residence, boarded his carriage, and went straight to the imperial city.

When he reached the palace, the sky was still dark. He had arrived early, before the hour for morning court, so he first went to the waiting chamber reserved for members of the imperial clan.

This was a privilege accorded to the imperial family. Ordinary ministers enjoyed no such treatment. If they arrived early, they had to wait in the court hall.

After all, ministers waited for the emperor. There was no reason for the emperor to wait for ministers.

The special treatment for members of the imperial clan had another purpose as well. The emperor was wary of imperial clansmen mingling too closely with court ministers. Ordinarily, the Office of Investigation watched them. But if a crowd of imperial princes and a crowd of officials mixed together before morning court, Heaven knew what they might conspire about, and the Office of Investigation could hardly hover beside them at such a time. Better to keep the two groups separate.

The waiting chamber was filled with the aroma of food. As usual, the imperial kitchens had prepared a simple breakfast for the imperial clansmen.

Simple though it was, no one dared reject food bestowed by the sovereign. Besides, it represented the emperor's goodwill, so when members of the imperial clan came here early for court, they would usually eat a little. It might not be as comfortable as eating whatever they pleased at home, but that was beside the point.

Hao Yunsheng gave a slight grunt as the eunuchs inside bowed. "Your Highness!"

He walked along the row of food and inspected it. Seeing that the only drink available was steaming hot milk, he waved the attending eunuchs back, refusing service and insisting on helping himself.

He took a bowl and ladled himself some hot milk. As he lowered the ladle back into the vat, a cloud of powder slipped from his sleeve. Pretending the ladle had not settled properly, he used the motion to stir the milk.

Only then did he carry his bowl aside and slowly eat and drink. On the surface he seemed calm. Inside, he was extraordinarily tense.

He understood why the people forcing him to do this had chosen him. Food inside the imperial palace was inspected with extraordinary strictness, especially food meant for a group of imperial princes. The supervision was severe, and an outsider would have no opportunity to tamper with it.

"Imperial Uncle!" A prince entering the room saw him and came over to salute. "I thought I was the earliest one here. I didn't expect Imperial Uncle to arrive before me."

Hao Yunsheng gave a few perfunctory replies.

After that, the various princes and imperial clansmen arrived one after another. Most of them did not care much for the breakfast prepared by the palace, but nearly everyone ate or drank a little anyway. No one wanted the others to think he disdained what the emperor had bestowed.

The food might not be particularly good, but there were plenty of people who would have liked to come eat it and lacked the qualification. Not every member of the imperial clan had the right to be here. First of all, one had to be qualified to attend court.

In truth, everyone tended to arrive early. Better early than late. If someone tried to time his arrival too closely and was delayed on the road, missing the hour of court could anger the emperor.

"Hm? It's already this late. Why aren't Eldest Brother and Third Brother here?" one prince suddenly asked after looking around and noticing two people were absent.

"Eldest Brother" meant Prince Jin Hao Qi. "Third Brother" meant Prince Ying Hao Zhen.

At those words, everyone looked around and realized that the two were indeed missing.

Second Prince Hao Hong, slowly drinking from his bowl, said unhurriedly, "Eldest Brother is unwell and asked for leave. As for Third Brother, he was carrying a box toward the inner palace. He probably has something to present to Imperial Father."

Leave on account of illness was one thing. As for bringing a gift, someone laughed. "Doesn't Third Brother usually dislike that sort of thing?"

There was a trace of mockery in the words. Some laughed outright, some smiled without quite smiling, and others said nothing.

At that very moment, Prince Ying Hao Zhen stood at the entrance to the inner palace, holding a box properly in both hands as he waited for permission from the emperor to enter. Someone had already gone in to announce him.

He and the emperor might be family, but the inner palace held too many women. Once imperial princes reached adulthood, most moved out of the palace to avoid impropriety. The inner palace was no longer a place they could enter freely as they had in childhood.

Hao Zhen truly did dislike the practice of presenting gifts. Unfortunately, he had acquired a rare item only yesterday. Somehow the emperor had heard about it, and the palace had made an inquiry. Hao Zhen knew how to take a hint, so early this morning he had obediently brought the item over.

After he waited a while, a eunuch came hurrying out, bowing repeatedly. "Your Highness, please return. You can leave the item with this servant."

Hao Zhen froze. "Imperial Father didn't say he wanted to see me?"

The eunuch hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand..." He glanced around, then lowered his voice. "His Majesty was going to see you, but some message suddenly arrived. Something seems to have happened, and His Majesty has no time to receive you now."

Something happened? What had happened? Hao Zhen's eyes flickered, but he did not inquire further. He offered the box with both hands and said courteously, "Then I'll leave it in your care."

"Oh, Your Highness, please don't say such a thing. It's only what this servant should do." The eunuch carefully accepted the box and repeatedly wished him a safe return.

Hao Zhen went back to the court waiting chamber. The moment he entered, he found everyone looking at him strangely. Some were even making oblique, sarcastic remarks.

He acted as though he had heard nothing, walked over to the breakfast, and had someone pour him a bowl of hot milk...

[End of Chapter 1117]