Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 122 : The Emperor's Daughter

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When Yu Xiaozai spoke to this point, he bent over and choked with sobs, unable to continue. The scholars of their generation who went on to take up official posts either wanted to be the patriotic and loyal Qi Huilian who would lay down his life for his cause, or the Hai Liangyi who was the stabilizing force that could hold them together in times of crisis. But then, this building teetering under the elements suddenly let loose the thunderous sound of collapse. In one night, it shattered the lofty aspirations of several tens of thousands of people, turning Dazhou into a land where wails abound everywhere.

Shen Zechuan turned his head aside silently and listened to the sound of the night watchman on his rounds beyond the courtyard wall.

Some time later, Yu Xiaozai stopped sobbing. He covered his face with a warm handkerchief for a moment before he said, “The Grand Secretary’s use of his death to remonstrate forced Han Cheng into a dead end, but he refused to give up. The crowd from imperial college was so worked up that they blocked Han Cheng’s sedan on Shenwu Street after the dismissal of the court session and smashed it to pieces. The Eight Great Training Divisions sealed off the imperial college and captured a few students who had been taking the lead and hauled them over to the imperial prison. They even cut off the students’ supply of food, and so the students went on a hunger strike.”

Yu Xiaozai could not help but shed tears again.

“I initially thought all the scholars in the world would die out at this point. But that night, I saw the flickers of flames among Mount Jingyi, which the imperial college was on, and that was when I knew of the far-reaching significance of the Grand Secretary. The blaze that spread far and wide had already become a force to behold. To quell the fury of all the scholars in the world, the empress dowager once again demanded Han Cheng hand over the private letter entrusting the child to him. She also drove the child from the Han clan who was feigning to be the imperial heir out of the palace. Han Cheng had no choice but to make a concession. He promised to have the private letter officially verified three days later.”

“The forged private letter did not have Emperor Guangcheng’s private seal. So the Grand Secretariat rejected Han Cheng’s crown prince proposal. On seeing this, the empress dowager consented to meet with Prince Yan of Huaizhou’s descendant to establish the candidate for the crown prince. However, Huaizhou is far away from Qudu. Just as Han Cheng had said earlier, that second son of Prince Yan’s grandson of non-direct descent was already advanced in age. He was fatigued from the long journey, and coupled with the fact that he had been through a roller coaster of emotions, he gave up the ghost before arriving at Qudu.”

“The issue of selecting and designating a crown prince completely came to an impasse. Han Cheng, with ulterior motives in mind, used the Eight Great Training Divisions to coerce the Grand Secretariat. He submitted another memorial to make a request for the eight cities to assist in governmental affairs. He wanted the empress dowager to establish a ‘Chamber for the Deliberation of State Affairs’, and the candidates listed were all officials from the noble clans. The empress dowager shelved the memorial without giving him an answer. Carrying on with the legacy of the Grand Secretary, His Excellency Boran submitted a memorial to consent to the original plan for the Chamber, but he asked for the removal of Han Cheng’s military power on the grounds that civil officials do not get involved with the military. He wanted to use this opportunity to take down Han Cheng’s Eight Great Training Divisions. But Han Cheng refused, so the Grand Secretariat did not give their approval, and both parties’ negotiation fell through once again.”

The lack of an heir was the breaking point of the no-win situation in Qudu. Officials of the Grand Secretariat with Kong Qiu in the lead made a concession in the face of the proposal for the eight cities to assist in governmental affairs, and this was in line with Hai Liangyi’s policy to keep the peace. They had no troops. Qidong was under the control of the empress dowager, and Libei no longer obeyed Qudu’s deployment orders after what happened with Xiao Chiye. Kong Qiu could only choose the lesser of two evils and give way. The bottom line was to strip Han Cheng of his military power. Even if they could not get their own hands on military power, they could not hand over all the patrols in Qudu to the noble clans to take charge of just like before.