Chapter 529: It Depends on One’s Actions

As Li Longji fell asleep, the horror in Nanming Palace finally came to an end. Wu Huifei sat motionless in front of her dressing table, allowing two maids to treat the wounds on her face. Her hair was disheveled, and her left eye was black and swollen—Li Longji’s fierce punch had left her vision blurred to this day. Wu Huifei could no longer remember how many times she had been beaten by Li Longji. In name, she was the head of the six palaces of Southern Tang, but who could truly understand her suffering? Being slapped, having her hair pulled and thrown against walls, and now being beaten in front of so many palace servants—was this still the role of a noble head of the palaces? When would this life worse than death end?

Wu Huifei couldn’t help but think of her two sons—one died tragically, the other became a puppet of An Lushan. She didn’t know if she would ever see them again. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and she couldn’t hold back her tears, collapsing on the dressing table and crying bitterly.

Her crying made the maids around her cry as well. In Nanming Palace, their fate was the same: to be beaten to death, either today or tomorrow. At that moment, Yu Chaoyen, who had come to check on Wu Huifei’s injuries, also sighed secretly. It had been him who escorted Wu Huifei to Chengdu. They had endured hardships together along the way, and Yu Chaoyen always felt a sense of protection toward her. Now that Wu Huifei was being abused by Li Longji, he felt deep sympathy for her. Yet he was powerless—when Li Longji went mad, he would kill anyone, even Yu Chaoyen himself. All he could do was hope that Li Heng would come to Chengdu and take the throne soon, bringing relief to everyone.

Seeing Wu Huifei crying so sadly, Yu Chaoyen wanted to comfort her but didn’t know what to say. He simply sighed and left her bedroom. As he headed toward the palace gate, about to return to his own room, a young eunuch pulled at his robe and quietly handed him a note.

Yu Chaoyen was surprised. He opened the note, glanced at it quickly, then tucked it away and nodded, saying, “I understand.”

He wandered around his residence before turning and leaving the inner palace through a small door, heading outside. As a trusted eunuch close to Li Longji, he held great power. The guards at the gate treated him with great respect, and no one ever dared to stop him from entering or leaving the palace.

It was already late at night, with misty rain falling. Yu Chaoyen strode out of the palace unimpeded. He got into a carriage and ordered, “To Fuxing Fang!”

The carriage set off, accelerating gradually until it disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Nanming Palace was not far from Fuxing Fang, only three li apart. In a short while, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Fuxing Fang. One of the attendants showed the palace token to the gatekeeper, who, not daring to neglect it, hurriedly opened the gate. The carriage quickly entered and soon reached the side door of Prince Rong’s mansion.

This was not the first time Yu Chaoen had come here. He couldn’t remember how many times he had been, nor how much benefit he had received from Prince Rong. Li Longji’s choice of Prince Rong to seize most of Gao Xianzhi’s military power was also related to Yu Chaoen. In a sense, Yu Chaoen was Prince Rong’s ally in the palace.

A servant was waiting at the side door. Upon seeing Yu Chaoen’s carriage, he immediately opened the door and welcomed him in.

“Has your lord gone to bed?” Yu Chaoen asked as he walked in.

“No, the lord is still in his study. Prime Minister Yang is there too.”

“Yang Guozhong?”

Yu Chaoen stopped in his tracks. What was Yang Guozhong doing at Prince Rong’s mansion so late? A sense of foreboding arose in him. Li Wan had rushed to summon him—something serious must have happened.

After pondering for a moment, he followed the servant to Li Wan’s inner study.

Wei Qingping had already left, but Yang Guozhong remained, as Li Wan had kept him behind. Li Wan ordered someone to send a message to Yu Chaoen to the palace that very night. Based on past experience, Yu Chaoen should arrive soon.

At that moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside. Li Wan whispered to Yang Guozhong with a smile, “He’s here!”

Yang Guozhong sneered inwardly. He had dealt with Yu Chaoen before and knew he was extremely greedy for bribes. Likely, he thought Prince Rong was about to offer him more gifts!

Thinking of the gifts, Yang Guozhong’s gaze drifted toward several large chests in the corner. Half of those chests contained gold, pearls, and treasures—things that belonged to him as well. He felt pain at the thought. When had he ever given such extravagant gifts to someone? Just a eunuch—why such a huge expense?

“Master, Lord Yu has arrived.”

“Lord Yu” was the respectful title used by the officials of Southern Tang for Yu Chaoen. Calling him “Eunuch Yu” sounded unpleasant, while “Old Man Yu” was ambiguous. Someone clever came up with the title “Lord Yu.” Thus, Yu Chaoen, who was not yet forty, already had his respectful title.

Li Wan personally got up to open the door. He saw Yu Chaoen standing outside, his expression shifting rapidly. He quickly stepped forward, warmly took Yu Chaoen’s hand, and said with a smile, “Lord Yu truly keeps his word. I was worried he wouldn’t be able to come because of the rain!”

Yang Guozhong also stepped forward and said with a smile, “I even made a bet with Prince Rong. I said Lord Yu would definitely come, while he said it was unlikely. I won this time. Your Highness, don’t play tricks!”

“I accept my loss; I’ll never deny it.”
Li Wan laughed heartily. The two of them joined in, pulling Yu Chaoen into the room. Li Wan asked him to sit down, poured him a cup of tea, and asked concerningly, “How is everyone?”
“Everyone” was the term high-ranking officials in the Tang Dynasty used privately to refer to the emperor. Li Wan deliberately avoided using “father emperor” and instead used “everyone,” which made the perceptive Yu Chaoen pause. He shook his head and said slowly, “It’s very bad. Today, he suspects someone else is trying to assassinate him. Eight people have already been executed. I think he won’t be able to sleep well tonight. He’ll wake up irritable tomorrow morning and kill more people. Sigh! How did he become like this? Serving the emperor is like keeping a tiger as a companion!”
“Yes! Just now, Yang the Prime Minister and I talked about him, and we were both very worried. If this continues, sooner or later he’ll kill us all. That’s why we came to consult you for a solution.”
“A solution?”
Yu Chaoen immediately became alert. What solution could there be to discuss? Why did they call him here in the middle of the night? Was it Yang Guozhong who was impatient? He couldn’t help but bring up the main topic. “I want to ask Lord Yu, has the emperor’s edict of abdication really been sent? I’m referring to the one from the north.”
Only then did Yu Chaoen realize their intention was to deal with Li Hen. No wonder! Surely some information had leaked in the palace. This was a difficult question to answer. He lowered his head and remained silent. Li Wan and Yang Guozhong exchanged a glance. Li Wan said again, “Lord Yu, you might as well tell us the truth.”
“You’re right to be worried!”
Yu Chaoen raised his head and sighed. “The emperor officially issued an edict this afternoon, restoring Li Hen as the crown prince. I think everyone will see the edict tomorrow.”
“What!”
Li Wan stood up abruptly, furious. “He clearly promised to make me the crown prince. How can he change his mind?”
Yu Chaoen gave a bitter smile. “Your Highness, I might say something you won’t like. The emperor has made promises to many people! He promised Li Shiliang and Li Shiba too. Those were just temporary tactics to win people’s hearts. But this time is different. He has officially issued an edict. This time, he’s really making Li Hen the crown prince. He deposed Li Hen a few years ago and now reinstates him as crown prince. The emperor told me it’s heaven’s arrangement.”
“No! It’s not heaven’s arrangement. Heaven has arranged for me to ascend the throne.”
Uncontrollable anger made Li Wan’s composure vanish. He grabbed Yu Chaoen’s wrist and said, “Lord Yu, you must help me this time.”

With that, he forced Yu Chaoyen toward the large chests by the wall. Yu Chaoyen’s wrists were squeezed painfully as he struggled and said, “Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely help…” He couldn’t finish his sentence—he was stunned by what he saw. The lids of all four large chests were open, and their dazzling light was so intense it made it impossible to keep one’s eyes open. Two of the chests were filled with jewels, jade, diamonds, and agates, while the other two contained heavy gold bars, each weighing two or three jin, with at least hundreds of such bars in each chest.

“This… this is…”

Yu Chaoyen was so shocked he could hardly speak. Li Wan said in a deep voice, “This is worth one million guan. It’s my reward for your lord.”

“For me!”

Greedy light flashed in Yu Chaoyen’s eyes. He stepped forward slowly, plunged his hands into the pile of jewels and diamonds, and grabbed a handful of glittering gems. They slipped through the gaps between his fingers, producing a tinkling sound that sounded even more beautiful than celestial music.

“Is all of this mine?”

Yu Chaoyen felt as if he couldn’t breathe. One million guan! He had saved less than 200,000 guan in his entire life. Was he going to get one million guan in just one night?

Li Wan watched him quietly. He knew that one million guan was enough to make Yu Chaoyen sell his own mother. Sure enough, Yu Chaoyen took a deep breath, turned slowly, and said, “Tell me! What do you want me to do?”

……

Yu Chaoyen’s carriage suddenly became heavier. Instead of returning to Nanming Palace with him and his newly acquired wealth, it moved steadily toward Shangyue Fang. Yu Chaoyen’s private residence was in Shangyue Fang—this was in line with his usual style: collect money first, then do the job. If the job failed, he would return half of the money. But this time, he had no intention of returning the jewels and gold worth one million guan. He kept them for himself.

By now, the cool night air finally calmed Yu Chaoyen’s wildly excited mind. He slowly realized why Li Wan had wanted him to kill Li Longji, even at the cost of one million guan worth of jewels. He actually didn’t have to do this at all. He already held most of the military power. If he sent troops to force his way into the palace, Li Longji would be forced to pass the throne to him. He could have done that easily—so why go through the trouble of killing him himself?

Yu Chaoyen leaned back against the soft cushions. A sense of fear arose in him. He had begun to guess Li Wan’s intentions. Could it be that Li Wan didn’t want to bear the blame of patricide and wanted to use him as a pawn to carry out the murder?

So, what after killing someone? How would he treat himself? Could he claim any merit for it?
“Stop!”
Yu Chaoen shouted softly, and the carriage came to a halt. He got off, walked slowly down the street with his hands behind his back. It was deep night, and the street was empty. Drizzling rain fell from the sky, enveloping entire Chengdu in a misty haze. Yu Chaoen raised his head, letting the heavy raindrops hit his face, extinguishing the last trace of greed in his heart. By now, he was completely sober. Those who kill by extreme means will surely be killed by extreme means as well. At that moment, Yu Chaoen glanced back at the carriage. Inside the rear compartment lay four large chests filled with wealth that could drive one mad. But in Yu Chaoen’s eyes, that wasn’t wealth—it was a death warrant to buy his life.
At that instant, a hint of malice flashed in Yu Chaoen’s narrowed eyes. Without poison, one is not a true man. Since Li Wan was heartless, he, Yu Chaoen, had no choice but to be unrighteous.
…
Near the southern city gate of Chengdu, there was a gathering place for scholars called Gongyuan Fang. It served as the imperial academy of Southern Tang and the site of the national university, attracting tens of thousands of young scholars from Bashu, Jingxiang, and Wu regions.
After returning to his own residence, Yu Chaoen’s carriage did not head back to the palace but instead went to Gongyuan Fang. The carriage stopped in front of a modest mansion there. Yu Chaoen’s attendants went forward and knocked on the door. After a while, the door was opened slightly, and someone inside asked in surprise, “It’s so late. Who are you looking for?”
“Please convey a message to Young Master Jin—say it’s Yu Linggong from the Imperial Eunuch Bureau seeking an audience.”
“Oh! Please wait a moment; I’ll go report it right away.”
A little later, the door opened, and a young man in white stepped out. He was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. He hurried forward and bowed to Yu Chaoen, saying, “I didn’t realize Lord Yu had arrived. I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me!”
“I should be the one to apologize for showing up uninvited. This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go inside.”
“Please, Lord Yu!”
This young man in white was Li Jin, the third son of Li Heng and the Prince of Xincheng. Not long after Emperor Li Longji sent his first letter to Li Heng, he sent his third son, Li Jin, to Chengdu to investigate the situation there and secretly win over Southern Tang’s officials.
Yu Chaoen was also one of the key figures Li Jin was trying to win over. He had spent at least ten thousand strings of coins on Yu Chaoen and obtained many insider details about Li Longji.
These days, he had been anxiously waiting for his father to enter Shu. Unexpectedly, Yu Chaoen appeared in the middle of the night. Li Jin’s heart immediately started pounding. Could something else have happened in the palace?

The lights in the room came on. Yu Chaoen sat down, took a sip of hot tea, and then asked, “Where has His Majesty arrived?”
Hearing Yu Chaoen refer to his father as His Majesty, Li Jin felt a surge of joy and quickly replied, “I just received news this afternoon that our father has entered the Sword Pavilion today.”
“Hmm! Quite fast. It’s best to act quickly, otherwise, trouble might arise!”
Li Jin sensed something hidden in Yu Chaoen’s words and grew alarmed, asking urgently, “My lord, what’s happened?”
“Haven’t you thought of it?”
Yu Chaoen sighed and shook his head. “When His Majesty enters Shu, will everyone be overjoyed? Some are happy, while others are worried!”
Li Jin began to understand. He asked tentatively, “Could it be Prince Rong?”
“Not only him, but also Yang Guozhong. I just received top-secret news that they are already mobilizing troops and are likely to launch a palace coup in the next one or two days, forcing our father to abdicate. I’m extremely worried and came here to inform you right away.”
“What… what should we do?”
Yu Chaoen glanced at him, seeing his shocked expression, and asked concerningly, “I’ve been urging the old emperor to abdicate and hand over the throne to your father. Rest assured, as long as I’m still alive, I won’t let people like Li Wan succeed. Besides, I’m here to take you out of the city tonight. If chaos breaks out in the city, I’m afraid your life will be in danger. Li Wan will never spare you. Get ready! I’ll take you out now.”
Li Jin was both grateful and nervous. He quickly said, “My lord, for your kindness, my father will surely repay you greatly!”
“No! I, Yu Chaoen, am not acting for money. Birds choose the best trees to perch on. I only hope His Majesty can ascend the throne in Chengdu as soon as possible. I’m willing to serve him loyally.”
“Good! I will definitely convey this to my father. Please wait a moment, I’ll gather my things and burn some important letters first.”
Li Jin threw a box of letters into the incense burner. Once they turned to ashes, he followed Yu Chaoen out. Their residence wasn’t far from the south gate, and they soon reached the city gate. With a golden plaque in hand, Yu Chaoen was not questioned by anyone, and the gatekeeper immediately ordered them to leave.
After leaving the city, Yu Chaoen said to Li Jin, “Please take care on your journey. Tell His Highness that I’ll do my utmost to stop Li Wan and Yang Guozhong from carrying out their evil plans!”
“Then I entrust everything to you, my lord.”
Watching Li Jin’s figure gradually disappear in the night rain, Yu Chaoen couldn’t help but sigh. Life was like gambling; it was uncertain whether he would make the right move this time.
…
In the middle of the night, Emperor Li Longji, who was half-asleep, was awakened by Yu Chaoen’s urgent whispers, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Li Longji’s sleep was extremely precious. Being awakened suddenly filled him with rage. “What is it?” He slowly gripped the dagger under his pillow, a desire to kill arising in his heart. “Your Majesty, I have urgent news—someone is plotting to seize the palace.” “What!” All traces of sleepiness vanished from Li Longji’s mind. He pulled back the curtain, grabbed Yu Chaoen by the collar, and glared at him fiercely. “Who? Who dares harm me?” “Your Majesty, it’s Prince Rong and Yang Guozhong. They’ve learned that you intend to name your third son the crown prince tomorrow, so they’re gathering troops to force their way into the palace overnight.” “How do you know so much?” Li Longji asked, narrowing his eyes. “Your Majesty, they sent a box of jewels and gold to my residence just now and asked me to persuade you to keep yourself in the Qilin Hall tomorrow. Something felt wrong, so I rushed here to report to you.” Li Longji gently released Yu Chaoen. His mind gradually calmed down. He walked slowly to the window, opened a crack, and gazed at the red sky and light rain. He realized Yu Chaoen was telling the truth. Back then, he had also led troops to force his father to abdicate and made his elder brother renounce his right to inherit the throne. Karma had caught up with him now—his sons were taking over his role. Twenty years ago, Crown Prince Ying, upon hearing of his illness, had pretended to hunt thieves and entered the palace in full armor. Twenty years later, his fourth son was trying to do the same. And Yang Guozhong, his most trusted minister, also wanted to overthrow him. Li Longji’s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he began to tremble. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He had no sons—anyone who dared take his throne would die! He turned to Yu Chaoen and said, “You’ve done well. I’ll reward you with that box of jewels and gold. Go out of the palace right now and summon Gao Xianzhi for me.” …