Chapter 1521: Regent of Great Yan

Tian Yu lay on the floor with disbelief still written across his face. Shen Baochun had spent years in the imperial palace and had accepted no small number of favors from him. Yet now, without warning, the man had struck to kill him.

Shen Baochun barely spared him another glance before turning away. Old friendship was old friendship. This matter was beyond even his ability to suppress, and there was nothing he could do to help. He had certainly taken plenty of benefits in the past, but when the time came to strike ruthlessly, he would not soften his hand.

If his superiors had not specifically ordered that Shang Jianxiong was not to be killed for the time being, Shen Baochun would have cut him down as well and let certain matters that could never see daylight disappear with him.

Shang Jianxiong stood there in a daze, staring at Tian Yu twitching on the floor. It was over. The moment he saw Shen Baochun kill Tian Yu outright, he knew this time it was truly over...

There was no morning court the next day. The civil and military officials did not enter the palace, but went directly to their own yamens and took charge according to Gao Jiancheng's arrangements. They watched everything closely, suppressing any abnormal movement the moment it appeared. No one with ulterior motives was to be allowed to exploit the situation and stir up disorder. Otherwise Gao Jiancheng would show no mercy.

Most of the common people in Yanjing had no idea what had happened. They only knew that the city gates remained shut. Few soldiers were visible in the streets, and ordinary life inside the city did not seem greatly affected.

Behind most wealthy clans and rich merchants stood officials of the court. Their information was better. Even if they did not know exactly what was happening, they had received warnings from those behind them telling them to behave themselves. The usual displays of wealth vanished overnight. Most households restrained their family members and forbade them from going outside.

Another day passed. At last the city gates opened.

A travel-worn army arrived. These were troops mobilized from the forces nearest Zijin Cave's sphere of influence. They entered Yanjing directly, deployed heavily throughout the city defenses, then forced their way into the imperial city and took over control of the palace.

Once their own troops had arrived, Gao Jiancheng and the others finally let their hands loose and began the purge.

Any great clan or wealthy household with Shang Jianxiong behind it was thrown into chaos. Squad after squad broke into residences. There were no trials. Property was confiscated, people were arrested, and people were killed.

Every crown prince, imperial prince, and similar member of the imperial clan who maintained a residence outside the palace was seized together with his household. Direct blood relatives were sent into the imperial palace and placed under house arrest. As for the rest, anyone suspected of possessing the means to cause disorder was killed without mercy.

The imperial palace itself was no different. More than half the eunuchs and palace maids were purged. Cries and screams echoed through the palace without end.

The imperial treasury was normally impossible to rob. This time, however, no one was stealing anything. They were taking what they wanted in broad daylight.

Shang Yongzhong personally led men to smash through and force open the treasury. There was no alternative. Shang Jianxiong would rather die than open it himself, so they could only break in by force.

They were not coveting the wealth inside.

They had come for Yan's state-protecting divine artifact.

Shang Yongzhong had barely rested for two days and two nights. His eyes were already bloodshot. He had reached an agreement with Gao Jiancheng: once the state-protecting divine artifact was secured, he would personally present it to Shang Chaozong.

"Grand Minister, my daughter is still inside the palace attending His Majesty. Might she be allowed to leave the palace and return home?"

Several court officials came to the Gao residence together to seek an audience with Gao Jiancheng. Each had a daughter who had been sent into the palace as one of Shang Jianxiong's consorts. Sending their daughters into the palace had originally been for the benefit of their own clans. Now that things had come to this, they could hardly ignore them, so they had gathered their courage and come to plead.

Seated behind his desk, Gao Jiancheng stroked his beard. "My lords, don't worry. Don't worry. Have a little patience for the time being. Nothing will happen to them. Those who should return home will be able to return home later. But not now. Once the situation has stabilized, we can deal with this properly. Would that not be better? You all understand the circumstances. If someone were allowed out of the palace now and then happened to make contact with outsiders, and suspicion arose that they intended to help His Majesty reverse the situation, that would be bad for everyone. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, yes. The Grand Minister has thought this through more carefully than we have." The officials repeatedly agreed.

Gao Jiancheng sighed. "There are also some unpleasant words I should say in advance. If any family's daughter is wholly devoted to His Majesty and no one else, I'm afraid she may not be able to leave the palace. And those who have borne His Majesty sons or daughters would probably be better off remaining in the palace to keep him company. Otherwise Prince Yong may start thinking too much. This is for everyone's own good as well. Wouldn't you say?"

"The Grand Minister speaks with reason." The officials could only agree meekly.

Meanwhile, the four forces that had been transferred away from the capital region and dispatched in different directions also began to realize something was wrong. In addition, there were still people inside the Intelligence Directorate and the military-intelligence system loyal to Shang Jianxiong. They appeared to accept control openly, but secretly sent messages to the four armies, urgently calling on them to return to the capital and rescue the sovereign.

Shang Yongzhong, however, had already used forged imperial orders to replace the principal commanders of all four forces. The newly installed commanders hesitated over whether they should return. If Shang Jianxiong escaped danger, would he later suspect that they had participated in the rebellion?

But Shang Jianxiong had cultivated these four armies deeply over the years. Once word of his danger became fully exposed, even the newly appointed commanders began to lose control of their troops.

Fortunately, the four forces had been moved away from the capital in time. The transfer had been so urgent that, apart from the rations carried personally by the soldiers, they had taken no supply train with them.

The "supplies waiting ahead" that Shang Yongzhong had promised did not exist at all. With nothing to eat, how were they supposed to march back?

And in every direction the four forces had been sent, troops aligned with Zijin Cave, Xiaoyao Palace, or Lingjian Mountain had already reacted at the first opportunity. Forces were urgently mobilized to intercept and block them.

With no provisions and their soldiers going hungry, the four armies had no choice but to face reality. In the end they were disarmed and brought under control.

Afterward came another bloody purge aimed at Shang Jianxiong's diehard loyalists.

Once the purge was complete, the formations were split apart and broken up. In effect, the forces that had come to intercept them swallowed the four armies whole.

This had been a long-planned and meticulously arranged coup.

Only after Shang Jianxiong's directly controlled loyalist forces had been dealt with could the larger situation truly be said to be settled.

The Yan court then publicly issued an imperial edict in Emperor Shang Jianxiong's name: Shang Chaozong would henceforth oversee all military and civil affairs of the State of Yan and serve as Regent.

There was little disturbance throughout the rest of Yan, only some minor unrest. Small purges were carried out in various places as well, removing all the supervising officials and similar agents Shang Jianxiong had previously stationed across the realm.

At the same time, groundwork had to be laid for Shang Chaozong's rise. The court also needed to justify the legitimacy of its own coup. So rumors were openly spread throughout the country, saying that the ugly truth of Shang Jianxiong's murder of Prince Ning had come to light. The story now claimed that the throne in those years had actually been intended for Prince Ning, only for Shang Jianxiong to seize it through secret maneuvering.

Put another way, after Prince Ning, Shang Chaozong was the rightful and legitimate Emperor of Yan.

The men of the court were practiced hands at this sort of thing. Not only did they strip Shang Jianxiong of all power, they poured filth over his name with equal enthusiasm...

A group thundered down the road at full gallop and finally reached the outskirts of Nanzhou Prefectural Capital.

At its head rode Shang Yongzhong, covered in road dust and looking scarcely human anymore.

He reined in outside the city and lifted his head to look at the bold characters naming the city above the gate.

At last, he had arrived. His heart was filled with nervousness and unease...

The princely residence had only recently been renovated, and its household had not long since moved back in when an important guest came to the door.

Shang Yongzhong hurried into the main hall. The moment he saw Shang Chaozong standing inside, he said nothing at all. He rushed forward, dropped to his knees, and began choking back sobs as though too overcome to speak.

His face and hair were thick with dust from the road, and the bloodshot whites of his eyes looked frightening. He was stripped to the waist, with a bundle of thorn branches bound across his back. The thorns had pierced his skin in several places, leaving streaks of blood. He was plainly bearing brambles to beg punishment.

Shang Chaozong exchanged a glance with Meng Shanming and Lan Ruoting beside him. This Grand Marshal truly had been willing to go that far.

Still kneeling and sobbing, Shang Yongzhong opened the long case he had brought with him. Inside lay a bronze-colored metal staff and an imperial edict. He raised the entire case above his head with both hands and began bawling.

"His Majesty's edict appointing the Regent is here, together with the state-protecting divine artifact, the Immortal-Subduing Staff. This guilty minister has brought them both. I was deceived by His Majesty and deserve ten thousand deaths. I have come specifically to beg for mercy!"

The three exchanged another glance.

Naturally, they knew exactly what had happened in the capital. They also knew that Shang Yongzhong had truly exerted himself to the utmost this time.

They knew as well that he had personally brought the edict appointing the Regent.

Quite a few people had wanted the honor of delivering these things, but in the end Shang Yongzhong had managed to seize it for himself. The three men also knew that Gao Jiancheng had tacitly allowed it.

There was a deeper purpose behind Gao Jiancheng's choice. He had deliberately given Shang Yongzhong the chance to establish the merit of supporting the new order, hoping it would spare him from disaster.

Their side understood his meaning. If even Shang Yongzhong could be pardoned, then the others would finally be able to set their hearts at ease and rejoice.

As for Gao Jiancheng himself, he had no reason to worry and no need to fight for this merit. Gao Jiancheng knew perfectly well who stood behind him. With that person there, Shang Chaozong would not dare make trouble for him. Besides, Gao Jiancheng still needed to remain in Yanjing and hold the situation steady.

Shang Chaozong was silent for a moment, then stepped forward personally and helped Shang Yongzhong to his feet with both hands.

"Royal Uncle, there is no need for this. The past is the past. There were circumstances behind what happened. I give you my word: Royal Uncle will remain Grand Marshal of Yan."

Meng Shanming watched silently from the side and sighed inwardly. Had this been the Prince of years ago, perhaps...

Now, however, Shang Chaozong no longer let joy or anger show plainly on his face.

The Prince was no longer the man he had once been.

Shang Yongzhong had only just been helped upright when, hearing those words, he struggled to kneel again. He knocked his head against the floor and wept as he offered thanks.

With that promise, the great stone weighing on his heart finally fell away. All his desperate efforts to prove himself had not been wasted.

The moment his taut nerves relaxed, however, he could no longer endure. His vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious on the spot.

"Royal Uncle!" Shang Chaozong and the others were startled and hurriedly called for cultivators to examine him.

One of Shang Yongzhong's trusted men, who had accompanied him, wiped at his tears. "My prince has barely closed his eyes properly for the last seven or eight days. Then he rode here to Nanzhou without stopping along the way. I'm afraid he simply collapsed from exhaustion."

After the cultivators examined him, they found that this truly was the case. He had simply exhausted himself completely.

Shang Chaozong and the others sighed inwardly. To save his own life, this man truly had thrown everything into it. They immediately ordered people to carry him away and care for him properly.

When Shang Yongzhong finally slept, he slept as though Heaven and earth had gone dark around him.

Once the hall had quieted again, Shang Chaozong picked up the state-protecting divine artifact and examined it for a while. Then he took up the imperial edict, opened it, and read.

His heart was filled with indescribable emotion.

He had sat at home and done nothing, yet the supreme power of Yan had simply fallen from the sky into his hands.

Whose achievement this was, he naturally knew very well.

Meng Shanming and Lan Ruoting later examined both objects too and were likewise filled with emotion. That Master Dao truly was extraordinary. He had said the realm of Yan would belong to the Prince, and now it had come true. He had simply reached out, taken it, and handed it over as a gift.

"Someone come!" Shang Chaozong called in a general. He handed over the imperial edict. "Take the court's edict to the army camps and proclaim it. Inform the entire army!"

He intended to use it to raise the army's morale.

"Yes!" The general accepted the order and departed carrying the edict reverently in both hands.

In the inner residence of the princely household, Feng Ruonan and Shang Shuqing were together inspecting their surroundings and giving servants instructions on how the newly renovated home should be arranged.

A maid suddenly came running over in great excitement, shouting, "Princess Consort! Princess Consort! Wonderful news! Wonderful news!"

Feng Ruonan turned and rebuked her. "Have some decorum. What kind of behavior is that? What wonderful news?"

The maid's face had blossomed into a broad smile. She was so excited that her hands were practically dancing.

"Princess Consort, Commandery Princess, the court has issued an edict! The court has issued an edict! His Majesty has taken ill, and the court has proclaimed His Highness Regent of Great Yan, placing all of Great Yan's military and civil affairs under his authority!"

[End of Chapter 1521]