Chapter 1 The Beginning

The Emperor's condition was most likely due to accumulated fatigue, allowing illness to exploit his weakened state. This had been foreshadowed, and was now the consensus.

The illness itself wasn't severe. However, the Emperor was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, considered middle-aged. He couldn't push himself like he did when he was younger. Moreover, he had spent half of the previous seven or eight years in military camps, leaving him somewhat depleted. Now, with the onset of winter, the cold weather exacerbated the situation, making recovery a slow and arduous process. This, too, was the consensus.

Everyone maintained a calm facade, but the person who needed it most was panicking.

Yang Yizhong repeatedly told himself there was no problem. As the person in charge of intelligence, all his channels confirmed that no one posed any threat.

The Empress Dowager hadn't sent any more parrots and continued to watch operas, even visiting the Emperor once. Crucially, she had no power to wield and likely wasn't clever enough. There were no issues with Imperial Father-in-law Pan's medicine. Everyone who examined the prescription deemed it appropriate. In fact, only the second day after the Emperor fell ill, Yang Yizhong abruptly and rudely seized control of the medication... He personally ordered *banzhi* (palace guards) from other regions to fetch the medicine from a pharmacy in the south of the city, and he personally tested the medicine from the same jar before the Emperor took it.

As a result, even he felt drowsy after taking the medicine, but only normally so, with no other adverse effects. Or rather, the only adverse effect was Imperial Father-in-law Pan's anger towards him.

There were no problems. No one was a problem.

After the daily Secret Chamber meetings initiated due to the Emperor's illness, the Chief Counselors would send one of their members to the palace to inquire after the Emperor's health. Imperial Concubine Pan and the yet-to-be-pregnant Imperial Concubine Wu would take turns caring for him. Occasionally, when the Emperor was awake, he could even hold normal conversations... But Yang Yizhong felt a deep, inexplicable fear in his heart, and it was growing stronger!

Thus, only four days after the Emperor began to feel unwell, the Imperial Commander of the Palace Guards, ranked first among the one hundred and eight commanders of the Great Song Dynasty, could no longer sit still.

He needed to take a series of measures to regain his psychological security—because this fear was something he couldn't share with others.

However, as the Imperial Commander of the Palace Guards in charge of the Imperial City Division, any action taken near the center of imperial power could have severe consequences... Therefore, he first needed to find a Chief Counselor to cooperate with him.

Some actions, when done by others, would be considered overstepping or even illegal. When done by a Chief Counselor, they would be seen as serving the greater good.

"Zhengfu means… someone might take advantage of the Emperor's illness to do something unfavorable?"

In late October, as the cold grew stronger, Zhang Jun, the Chief Counselor of the West Chamber and Vice Chief of the Secretariat, looked up in astonishment in his rear hall. The vigilance and doubt he felt when Yang Yizhong, with his unique status, made a sudden visit were instantly forgotten.

"More than that," Yang Yizhong replied solemnly. "Even the Emperor's illness, though I can't find definitive evidence, feels suspicious..."

Zhang Jun was stunned.

Without waiting for the other man to question him, Yang Yizhong continued, "Chief Counselor Zhang, the Emperor is frugal and doesn't like adding palace staff, which means the current staff are all old employees. Later, when the palaces were cleaned up, the two imperial concubines had children, and some people were added—either old staff or servants from the families of the two imperial fathers-in-law. Forgive my bluntness, but these people are all connected by a web of relationships formed during times of prosperity. And some of them resent the Emperor because the palace is now austere."

Having recovered his composure, Zhang Jun didn't respond directly. Instead, he picked up his tea and took a small sip before frowning and saying, "Zhengfu, so you're saying this is all just your own speculation..."

"Chief Counselor Zhang, what if it is speculation?" Yang Yizhong replied solemnly. "Am I not entitled to speculate? Three Empress Dowagers, two Retired Emperors, two Imperial Concubines, and two Princes... some things need to be prepared for! Besides, what if? If something goes wrong, don't invoke the name of Zhuge Liang. You might end up being a sinner like me!"

This was an admission that he was engaging in baseless speculation, and it revealed the targets of his suspicion... while also hinting at the reason.

Hearing this, Zhang Jun simply replied solemnly, "Indeed, this concerns the Emperor's safety… So, what does Commander Yang plan to do?"

Yang Yizhong quickly stood up and bowed respectfully. "I heard that before the Shenlong Coup, Chancellor Zhang Jianzhi tested Li Duozuo, and Li Duozuo replied that he was grateful for the grace of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and was willing to follow the Chancellor's orders… I mean the same thing today. As a military official, I am grateful for the Emperor's kindness, but I will never act without authorization. I am willing to follow your arrangements, Chief Counselor."

Zhang Jun was extremely pleased and nodded in agreement. "If that's the case, Zhengfu, go back for now. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Yang Yizhong didn't say anything more. He quickly left the rear hall and hurried away in the winter night... Of course, if they were going to do something big, even without mentioning the Retired Emperors, the Empress Dowagers, or the imperial concubines and princes, simply purging the palace staff would be an extremely serious matter. Even Zhang Jun, as Chief Counselor, had to obtain the necessary support in advance.

At the very least, he had to reach a consensus with the core members of the so-called Mu Party.

However, just as Yang Yizhong stepped out of the rear courtyard, three figures emerged from a side room within the rear hall. They were Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo, Minister of War Liu Ziyu, and Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Lü Zhi.

It turned out that, apart from Qu Duan, whose sensitive position made frequent visits inappropriate, the other three core members of the so-called Mu Party were at Zhang Jun's residence.

Of course, they weren't engaging in any clique-ish activities… cough… they were discussing serious matters.

The key position of Pacification Commissioner of Jingxi North Circuit was vacant, and the Emperor was ill. At this time, Chief Counselor Zhao Ding proposed transferring Wu Min, the Pacification Commissioner of Guangnan West Circuit and former Chief Counselor of the Jingkang era, to fill the position, and appointing Lü Zhi as Pacification Commissioner of Guangnan West Circuit.

From a political perspective, this was undoubtedly a brilliant move—placing his former protégé in a traditionally wealthy circuit near the capital, while sending his opponent's 'brain' to Guangxi.

However, it was also a transparent scheme that no one could openly refute.

Firstly, Wu Min's qualifications aside, according to court conventions, after serving as a senior official in Lingnan, he was entitled to a good position, especially considering his contributions in assisting Yue Fei in suppressing the Qianzhou rebellion. Similarly, the same convention of Lingnan officials being promoted made it difficult to argue that Lü Zhi's appointment to Guangxi was a demotion… a period of experience, and he would return as a minister!

More importantly, this was within the authority of the Chief Counselor and under the purview of the Department of State Affairs. In the past, they could have argued directly before the Emperor, but now that the Emperor was lying there in a semi-conscious state, it was difficult to contend. If the Emperor routinely grunted in agreement and the document was issued, Lü Zhi would have no choice but to take office.

However, with Yang Yizhong's sudden intervention, Lü Zhi's matter had to be delayed.

"What do the three of you think?" After briefly recounting the situation, Zhang Jun asked solemnly.

"Yang Zhengfu is confused..."

Liu Ziyu replied immediately. "His meaning is actually quite clear. He's worried that one of the two Retired Emperors, through old connections in the palace, has linked up with an Empress Dowager and an Imperial Concubine, and is planning to stage a coup to put a young prince on the throne..."

"Indeed." As they were all on the same side, Zhang Jun didn't pretend otherwise. "In theory, the Empress Dowagers, imperial concubines, and two Retired Emperors all have that motive… If it succeeds, the Retired Emperor can gain freedom and live a hundred times better, without having to write any 'memoirs.' The imperial concubine can become an Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowagers, who have experienced times of prosperity and extravagance, would likely be pleased to see it happen."

"Having a motive is inevitable, but relying solely on motive is nonsense. The Jurchens also have a motive, so why don't they come to the palace to assassinate His Majesty?" Liu Ziyu was increasingly dismissive. "The key is how many steps are required to accomplish this, how many people are needed, and how can they deceive everyone? Does he think his Imperial City Division is useless? What about the Military Statistics Division… which has been conveniently interfering in various Taoist temples and monasteries? I don't believe His Majesty hasn't taken the opportunity to monitor the two Retired Emperors. Finally, with the Emperor's prestige, the Chief Counselors and Vice Chiefs are under his control, and all the commanders and generals in the country are loyal to him alone. How could those people in the palace, without even a weapon, dare to do such a huge thing?"

Zhang Jun nodded repeatedly, not at all angry. "To be honest, Yanxiu, that's what I thought too. But…"

"That's not right."

At this moment, Lü Zhi, who had been holding back for a long time, suddenly interjected, shaking his head repeatedly. "Chief Counselor, Grand Commander, think about it, is Yang Zhengfu really saying that this is happening? If it were really happening, he would have eliminated it already… He's here today to remind us ministers that we should take precautions, that we should eliminate these hidden dangers for the Emperor… The two Retired Emperors are confined, but the three Empress Dowagers, the two imperial concubines, and the two princes are new troubles."

Hearing this, Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu fell silent… unsure whether it was because the topic was too sensitive or something else.

"What do you think, Chief Counselor?" Seeing this, Lü Zhi took the initiative to press him.

"I…" Zhang Jun hesitated.

"I roughly guess that you're already somewhat tempted, aren't you?" Lü Zhi said solemnly. "Firstly, the Emperor has shown you great kindness, and you won't hesitate about the consequences to repay that kindness. Secondly, what Yang Yizhong said makes some sense. Two Princes, two Imperial Concubines, three Empress Dowagers, two Retired Emperors… has there ever been such a strange situation in history? As a Chief Counselor and the Emperor's most trusted confidant, if you don't take precautions for the Emperor, how will you face anyone if something goes wrong? Thirdly, the Emperor hasn't been sick for six or seven years. Now that he's bedridden, we should take precautions just in case!"

Zhang Jun nodded heavily, immediately admitting, "I'm not afraid to sacrifice myself. If things really change, I'm naturally willing to act, but I feel that the current situation hasn't reached that point. And…"

"And you don't know if Yang Yizhong is acting on the Emperor's orders, hinting at something?" Lü Zhi pressed him. "After all, this man is usually cautious, but today he was overly abnormal?"

"No."

Zhang Jun immediately waved his hand. "The Emperor wouldn't secretly direct his ministers to take on the blame while he watches coldly… This must be Yang Yizhong's own idea."

Lü Zhi paused slightly.

"If that's the case, then it's really a bit difficult." Liu Ziyu shook his head again. "This isn't about whether you, Deyuan, are afraid to sacrifice yourself or not. It's about how if we directly agree, it would inevitably seem like we're seeing shadows everywhere and causing unnecessary panic. Not to mention wronging people, it might also cause turmoil in the court. Even if the Emperor recovers and learns that we've done something like this, he might think we're acting recklessly. But if we don't agree, in the future, if something happens, our hesitation today might make people look down on us, and the Emperor might be disappointed."

Zhang Jun sighed, unsure of what to think.

At this moment, Lü Zhi thought for a moment and proposed a new suggestion, "If that's the case, why not agree, but not take action directly? Just carefully observe the Emperor's condition… If the Emperor recovers, we won't mention this matter again. But if the Emperor's illness persists, or even worsens, or if there are some rumors or flaws, then we'll take swift action… Shaolin Temple, Dongxiao Palace, Nanyang, Yangzhou, and the inner palace… all should be prepared in advance!"

This method was appropriate. Hearing this, Zhang Jun and Liu Ziyu almost nodded in agreement simultaneously.

However, just as Zhang Jun was about to reach a conclusion, he caught sight of someone at his side and realized that Minister Lin, who usually had good ideas, hadn't said a word from beginning to end. So, he immediately turned to him.

Seeing this, Liu Ziyu and Lü Zhi also realized and looked at Lin Jingmo.

Lin Jingmo came back to his senses and smiled, "I just remembered a small matter… Gentlemen, you said that Yang Zhengfu is in charge of the Imperial City Division. Does he know or not that we're meeting here today? Could it be that he specifically visited us because he knew we were all here?"

The others were taken aback.

"This is just a small matter, not worth mentioning. Let's talk about the main issue." Without waiting for a response, Lin Jingmo immediately shook his head. "In my opinion, Vice Minister Lü's method is perfect, but there are still two questions… Firstly, Yang Zhengfu is usually calm and composed. Is there some unknown reason for his unusual behavior today?"

The others frowned, but none of them spoke… Zhang Jun's lips moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.

After a long while, Lü Zhi finally couldn't wait any longer, "Let's not mention this matter, because even if there is a reason, we won't know it for a while."

"Okay, let's talk about Yang Yizhong then." Lin Jingmo continued with his hands clasped. "Secondly, if we follow Vice Minister Lü's compromise and delay things… what if Yang Yizhong goes back today and spreads rumors himself, or creates incidents himself? Do we act or not?!"

The rear hall was silent.

"He… where would he get the audacity?" After a long while, Lü Zhi finally spoke, but he stuttered, "A military man…"

Lin Jingmo glanced at Lü Zhi without saying anything.

"If that's the case, I don't know if we should say he's outrageously bold or commend him for his loyalty…" Liu Ziyu suddenly chuckled at his friend Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun also sighed slightly, but immediately woke up slightly under Liu Ziyu's prompting gaze, and then looked at Lin Jingmo again, "If that's the case, Minister Lin, please tell me, what should we do?"

"I'm not trying to be mysterious," Lin Jingmo said, shaking his head and smiling. "I just remembered something else… Chief Counselor Zhang, actually, this matter is simple… May I ask, is the Emperor really so ill that he can't speak?"

"How could he be?" Zhang Jun shook his head repeatedly. "The Emperor is just feeling weak from the medicine and is often bedridden, but he can still eat, take medicine, and relieve himself normally."

"Then why not go to the palace early tomorrow morning and ask the Emperor?" Lin Jingmo blurted out.

The others instinctively felt it was absurd—how could they let the Emperor know about such a sensitive matter?

But just a moment later, they suddenly understood—how could they *not* let the Emperor know about such a sensitive matter? The Emperor wasn't really that ill!

Moreover, as a Chief Counselor, it wasn't a bad thing for Zhang Jun to do this kind of thing. On the contrary, it was an open and honest approach.

And so, everyone in the hall suddenly understood—the solution to the problem was so simple, but they had been blinded by the darkness and Lin Shangshu had been the one to think the fastest and react the fastest!

Only Zhang Jun himself still seemed somewhat out of touch, and seemed to have some unspeakable secrets. But soon he realized that things were different now. Today he was the Chief Counselor, so why couldn't he go directly and ask? Moreover, judging from Lin Jingmo's attitude, if he didn't go and ask, then he would definitely find another Chief Counselor to ask!

If that was the case, then there was only one path to take: to ask openly tomorrow.

Immediately, since a decision had been made, and it was getting late, everyone didn't want to stay any longer, so they bid farewell and left.

The next morning, Zhang Jun, as the Chief Counselor, didn't even go to the Privy Council. He directly entered the inner palace from the Yiyou Gate and openly arrived at Jingfu Palace… barging directly into the Zhao Emperor's bedroom without even requesting an audience.

In the special situation of the Emperor's illness, the power of the Chief Counselor was unquestionable, and meeting with the Emperor and observing his condition was an act that even the Zhao Emperor himself probably couldn't prevent.

Grand Captain Lan Gui wasn't there, so Second Captain Feng Yi could only inform him while leading Chief Counselor Zhang into the bedroom.

When the Emperor and his minister met, the Zhao Emperor, who had just finished breakfast and drunk eighty percent of his medicine, was obviously not in good spirits, but he was definitely conscious. The Emperor allowed his Chief Counselor to dismiss his imperial concubine and attendants before engaging in conversation.

Zhang Jun first reported the events of last night in detail, and then calmly asked the Emperor whether he wanted to purge the old staff in the inner palace, whether he wanted to restrict the three Empress Dowagers, whether he wanted to appropriately tighten the surveillance of the two Retired Emperors, and finally, and most importantly, whether he wanted to establish an Empress and an Heir Apparent in case of unforeseen circumstances.

He spoke very candidly, and implicated Yang Yizhong's excessive behavior, and involved the most sensitive issues of ruler, minister, father, and son.

But unexpectedly, the Zhao Emperor sat on the couch, quietly listening to these words, without anger, disappointment, or excitement. Instead, he was silent.

This made Zhang Jun realize that he might have guessed correctly.

Yesterday, Yang Yizhong came to him not only to take precautions, but also because he was one of the people present at the Mingdao Palace seven years ago… and was one of the first two external ministers to see the Emperor after he lost his memory.

The other was Lü Gongxiang, who had already retired.

In addition, Kang Li was dead, Huang Qianshan had been exiled far away, Chief Counselor Wang had died for his country, and Wang Yuan had also retired. In a sense, Yang Yizhong could only turn to him.

Moreover, it was reasonable for everyone to be suspicious of Imperial Concubine Pan… Although Yang Yizhong didn't say it, his target last night was undoubtedly Imperial Concubine Pan… After all, it was Imperial Father-in-law Pan who was in charge of the medication, and Imperial Concubine Pan was one of the few surviving people who were present at the time.

That incident, when the Emperor fell and injured his head, forgetting many things, Zhang Deyuan had always thought was an excuse the Emperor made for himself when he decided to resist and give up on fleeing… and the outside world had almost reached a similar consensus.

But it seemed now that it was probably true.

Yang Yizhong's reaction was excessive, but understandable.

He wanted to remind himself that if the Emperor had another brain injury and lost his memory again, who would protect the Emperor? Who would protect the hard-won achievements of the past seven years?

It was precisely because of this consideration that Yang Yizhong didn't dare to personally test the Emperor, but instead sought him out, and he couldn't directly mention this matter to anyone, even Liu Ziyu and Lin Jingmo, so he could only go along with it.

However, it seemed that the Emperor was still alright.

"Deyuan, you did well," After a long while, the Zhao Emperor, propping himself up with the strength of the medicine, replied with a sigh. "You're considerate, but Yang Zhengfu isn't really worried about this. He's probably just panicking because I haven't been sick for a long time, and now that I'm suddenly so ill… You should be the same. You can go back now. As for establishing an Empress and an Heir Apparent, I'll naturally tell you when the time comes."

The Emperor didn't intend to be completely honest, but by using *you* and *me* instead of *zhen* and *qing*, he was clearly expressing trust… In short, the matter had finally been settled. Relieved, Zhang Deyuan naturally took his leave, even forgetting to take the opportunity to mention Lü Zhi's matter.

Without mentioning what Zhang Jun was thinking, since the Zhao Emperor had received the news, he simply abandoned the remaining medicine from the morning and directly had Feng Yi summon Yang Yizhong, who was already in the palace… Yang Yizhong arrived and immediately bowed his head, allowing the Emperor to dismiss everyone else.

But unexpectedly, the two of them remained silent in front of the couch for a long time, and both were somewhat dejected.

"Zhengfu," Finally, it was Zhao Jiu who broke the silence. "You're thinking too much, and why are you so afraid that you have to test me through Zhang Jun?"

Yang Yizhong bowed his head without speaking.

Zhao Jiu sighed helplessly and pointed out, "Don't worry, I'm not seriously ill… Let me tell you something we've both known all along. That day on the Huai River, you put some coins into a tangerine lantern in front of me and then sank it to the bottom of the river, you did that to let me see it with my own eyes, right? Those well-made, uniquely patterned coins that were different from copper coins were the ones you picked up from the bottom of the Nine Dragon Well after I was injured, right?"

"I picked them up, and didn't dare show them to anyone."

Hearing this, Yang Yizhong choked up instantly, and tears flowed uncontrollably. "Your Majesty, I really dare not think about what to do if something like that happens again? What will happen to the Northern Expedition? Will the words of national hatred and family grievances still count? What should I do? All the hard work of the past seven years… is it going to be destroyed?! You must know that this is a situation that Your Majesty and your ministers have painstakingly created, risking life and death every step of the way! How can we give it to someone else?!"

"It won't come to that." Hearing this, Zhao Jiu suddenly felt relieved. He originally wanted to explain that the coin wasn't his, but belonged to the well, but he simply didn't say it… saying it would only make him seem distant. "Even if the Northern Expedition fails, I won't be at peace, and even if that day really comes, it's not something you and I can decide. Moreover, even if that happens, I've spent seven years creating an irreversible situation. Even if the person from Shaolin Temple comes back, they'll have to carry the Northern Expedition through to the end… Don't think too much!"

"…Yes!"

"Since the medicine to relieve fatigue is causing so much trouble, I won't use this medicine from this afternoon onwards. I'll switch to something else and take it slow, so you won't overthink, and also to be prepared… But I've already taken the morning dose, so I can't avoid feeling tired."

"Yes!"

"Besides, hasn't everything gone well?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me the truth, if Zhang Jun hadn't come today, were you going to spread rumors or create a case in the palace to force him to test me and take action?"

"Yes…"

"But you're right!" Zhao Jiu thought for a while and suddenly sneered again. "This is a situation that you, me, Zhang Deyuan, Han Liangchen, Yue Pengju, and tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of others have painstakingly created… I don't know how many people have lost their lives for this situation… Why should we give it to someone else?!"

Yang Yizhong, whose emotions had gradually stabilized, suddenly perked up.

"Go do it!" Zhao Jiu yawned on the couch and said casually. "First, spread some rumors. Loosen things up everywhere. I want to see if anyone is really bold enough to do something, and it'll also give you something to do, so you won't be so troubled and worried all day long. I myself am so open-minded… Don't forget to say hello to Zhang Jun. He was so troubled by you that he thought something was wrong with my head."

"Your servant will die a thousand deaths to repay your kindness!" Yang Yizhong kowtowed.

When he looked up again, he found that the Zhao Emperor had already laid down on the couch, but he was lost in thought, rather than being sleepy, so he didn't dare to disturb him, and even more so, he didn't dare to guess what the Emperor was thinking. He simply stepped back and left.