Chapter 708: Entering the Palace on a Rainy Night

News of the Tang army’s great victory in the northern campaign reached Chang’an, bringing joy throughout the Great Tang Dynasty. Chang’an city celebrated with drums and gongs, while Jingzhao Prefecture lit lanterns in celebration—lanterns ten zhang tall as bright as the full moon, their light dazzling. Hundreds of thousands of people sang and danced together, celebrating all night long. The next day, a massive parade was held; another hundred thousand scholars took to the streets, shouting slogans in support of Li Qing’an’s ascension to the throne, attracting three hundred thousand more people to join them. With hundreds of thousands of voices demanding that the court officially proclaim Li Qing’an as emperor, his popularity reached its peak.

Li Qing’an’s decisive victory in the northern campaign had elevated his personal prestige to its highest level. Not only in Chang’an but also in major Tang cities such as Luoyang, Taiyuan, Yangzhou, Chengdu, and Xiangyang, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people organized spontaneous demonstrations in support of his ascension. In the 370 provinces and over 1,500 counties of the Great Tang, more than half of the provincial and county officials submitted petitions to the court after the auspicious signs appeared in Chuzhou, urging support for Li Qing’an’s reign.

Yet amid the celebrations, discordant voices emerged—those of the imperial clan. On the eighth day of the sixth month, Li Yi, the head of the Imperial Clan Affairs Office, led a ritual at the Imperial Ancestral Temple to seek support from the Tang royal family for Li Qing’an. However, because Li Qing’an remained resolute in cracking down on land consolidation, the court issued an order to clean up all land by October and imposed heavy taxes on the imperial clan’s landholdings that exceeded designated limits. As a result, nearly 60% of the imperial clan opposed Li Qing’an’s ascension, using the argument that he was not of legitimate Li Tang lineage to refuse to participate in the ritual.

Although most of the Li Tang imperial clan was opposed, given the great victory in the northern campaign and widespread support from officials and civilians, there was no doubt that Li Qing’an would take control of Daming Palace. At the very moment news of the Tang army’s triumphant return reached Chang’an, the Council of State passed a unanimous resolution to elect Li Qing’an as emperor of the Great Tang. Soon after, all court officials approved it. That very night, Empress Dowager Shen issued an edict to the whole country, declaring that the current young emperor was unfit to rule due to health reasons and formally abdicating. She then decreed that Li Qing’an, the Grand General of the Army and Prince of Zhao, be appointed as the new emperor of the Great Tang. She also ordered that Princess Dugu Mingyue, wife of Prince Zhao, be crowned the official empress and move to Daming Palace.

Normally, the emperor issued decrees to crown an empress, but as an empress dowager, she had the authority to do so in special circumstances. Given the unique situation—Li Qing’an was not in the capital and the imperial clan was united in opposition—Empress Dowager Shen broke with tradition and crowned the empress ahead of time, ordering Princess Dugu to move to Daming Palace with her family that very night.

A light rain began to fall from the sky. As night fell, the rain grew heavier, pattering against the leaves and rooftops. Yet inside the ZhaoWangfu in Wu Ben Fang, the lights were bright. Nan Jiyun, the general of the Qian Niu Wei, personally led 5,000 soldiers from the Qian Niu Wei and 5,000 troops from the internal guard, fully armed, to protect Li Qing as he moved safely to the Daming Palace.

The entire route from Wu Ben Fang to the Daming Palace was under strict security. An additional 15,000 soldiers from the Qian Niu Wei stood at regular intervals along the way, keeping watch.

Inside the ZhaoWangfu, everything was in orderly motion. Mingyue, who had already been appointed as the official empress, was directing her family in packing up belongings for the move. Larger items were left behind for now; only delicate items and personal possessions were being packed. They had been busy for three days, packing hundreds of boxes. Moving house seemed simple, but there were more items than one might expect—half of them were just the children’s things.

Since they couldn’t sleep at night, everyone took a nap during the day. Now, the ZhaoWangfu was brightly lit as everyone finalized the packing. Four hundred guards left behind to protect Li Qing were carrying boxes, loading them onto carts through the side doors. They were very busy shuttling back and forth. In the Qi Feng Courtyard, Li Qingan’s second wife, Jiang Wuyi, was holding her daughter, watching as dozens of soldiers carried her belongings. Two eunuchs ran back and forth, guiding the soldiers.

“Mom, where are we going?” her three-year-old daughter, Li Siyue, asked, lifting her little face.

Wuyi held her daughter in one hand and gently stroked her cheek with the other, smiling softly. “We’re going to our new home. Have you heard of the Daming Palace?”

Siyue shook her head. “Mom, where is the Daming Palace?”

“It’s a very, very large mansion with many, many palaces and houses.”

“Is it bigger than ourWangfu?”

Wuyi laughed and patted her daughter’s cheek. “Of course it’s bigger than ourWangfu—much bigger. There’s also a huge lake called Taiye Pond. Don’t you like boating? Mom can take you boating on the lake! Do you like that?”

“Yes!”

Siyue clapped her hands in joy. Then she remembered something else and asked, “Mom, they call you ‘Niangniang.’ Why do they call you ‘Mom’ too?”

Wuyi couldn’t help but laugh. She picked up her daughter, kissed her cheek, and said smilingly, “Silly child, ‘Niangniang’ is just a title. It’s not the same as ‘Mom’ you call. From now on, people will call you a princess, do you know?”

Si Yue nodded obediently. Wu Yi couldn’t help but recall the promise her husband had made to her on the night before he left—to make her a noble consort, restore the Jiang family’s reputation, and bring back her parents’ remains to Chang’an. Tears welled in her eyes; she wasn’t sure whether to feel joy or sorrow. The imperial palace was as deep as the sea, and who knew what fate awaited her?

At that moment, a young eunuch rushed over and said to her, “Lady Jiang, the Empress asks you to come to the main hall.”

Three days earlier, Empress Dowager Shen Zhenzhu had sent over 200 eunuchs and maids to serve in the Prince Zhao’s mansion. These servants had remarkable adaptability; within just three days, they had fully gotten to know their new masters, using the correct titles without any mistakes. Not even an hour after the Princess Zhao was crowned Empress, they all changed their address, even faster than the servants in the Prince Zhao’s mansion.

Wu Yi nodded and walked forward with her daughter.

In the main hall of the front courtyard, Du Gu Mingyue was making final arrangements for the servants. Over sixty maids and their families were gathered there—it was also a crucial moment in their lives.

“There’s one condition I need to make clear first. All of you are free people; none of you have bonds of servitude. You were hired by my mansion under employment contracts, and you can leave at any time. But now that we’re entering the palace, I officially declare that these contracts are suspended. As per the agreement, I will compensate each of you with three months’ salary. Additionally, out of gratitude for our years of service, I’ll give each of you 100 guan as a settlement fund, along with a piece of land—20 mu per person, all high-quality land on the outskirts of the capital. It’s hard for me to part with you, but we must go our separate ways. If you encounter any difficulties in life in the future, come to me. As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll do my best to help you. Thank you all for taking care of my family over the years. Thank you!”

After saying this, Mingyue bowed to them. The maids were deeply moved. They knelt down and kowtowed to Mingyue three times, tears in their eyes, saying, “The Empress bows to us despite her noble status. We dare not accept it. We wish the Empress a lifetime of peace, and we wish the princess, the young prince, and all the ladies good health…”

Mingyue nodded, her voice a little choked up. “Alright, it’s getting late. Go back and pack your things! Old Pan will take care of the rest of the arrangements.”

Pan Xiaonian, the head steward, waved his hand and said, “Follow me! Everything is ready, and everyone will get their share.”

Everyone kowtowed to the bright moon once more before following Pan Xiaonian. At that moment, Wu Yi came up with her daughter, expressing some emotion as well: “Elder sister, you seem quite sad.”
“Yes! Parting always makes people sad.”
The bright moon sighed, then rallied her spirits and smiled at Wu Yi, saying, “Not all family members will be separated during this move. There are still twelve maids who will come with us to the palace. Baoqin and Nongxiao from your room will also come, and the nurses for the children will enter the palace as well. I will treat them even better, so don’t worry!”
This was exactly what Wu Yi was worried about. Her two personal maids, Baoqin and Nongxiao, had followed her to Anxi. Both were orphans; if they were separated, where could they go? There was also her daughter’s nurse, whom her daughter couldn’t do without. Hearing what the bright moon said, she felt relieved.
“Is this why you called me, elder sister?”
The bright moon took her hand and smiled, saying, “I wanted you to ride in the same carriage as me. To be honest, I’m a bit nervous. Originally, Ru Shi was supposed to ride with me, but Ru Hua is pregnant and needs to accompany her, so I had to ask you to ride with me instead.”
Wu Yi also smiled. “Actually, I’m quite nervous too. It’s best if everyone rides together. How about we take the biggest carriage and let Wan’er ride with us too? That way it’ll be more lively. I think she’s a bit nervous too.”
The bright moon thought for a moment before saying with a smile, “Alright! I’ll have someone arrange it. Let’s just have Ru Shi and Ru Hua come in as well. There are only three of them, so they should fit. It may not be very proper, but we can’t worry about that too much.”
Wu Yi had an idea and smiled slightly, saying, “Actually, we can explain it! Just say it’s a requirement from the army, for safety reasons.”
“You’re always full of clever ideas. Okay, that’s a good excuse.”
The bright moon quickly ordered an eunuch to arrange the carriage. Seeing that time was approaching, she sent someone to notify everyone to gather in the front hall. After a while, everyone arrived. Ru Shi supported her sister Ru Hua, who was already six months pregnant and had a large belly, making it difficult for her to walk. The nurse held Ru Shi’s daughter, Siduo. Soon, Pei Wan’er also arrived, holding her own daughter. Interestingly, except for the eldest daughter, Siyue, the other children were all sleeping soundly.
As they neared the palace, everyone was nervous yet excited. Starting from that night, they would embark on a brand new life.
At that moment, an eunuch rushed into the hall and bowed to the bright moon, saying, “Your Majesty, the time has come, and the carriage is ready.”

Moonlight nodded and said to everyone, “Let’s all get on the carriage! It’s time to go.” With a hint of reluctance, she cast one last glance at the old mansion before leading everyone out of the hall to the screen wall. The carriage was already ready, with 300 fully armed bodyguards riding on either side. Moonlight guided everyone onto the largest carriage in the household, followed by two more carriages for her personal maids and wet nurses. The main gate slowly opened, and the carriage set off, heading outside.

Outside the gate, everything was brightly lit. Goods had already been transported into the palace. Nearly 10,000 soldiers from the Qianniu Guard and the Imperial Guard lined up to provide protection, with troops maintaining strict security all the way from Wubenfang to the Daming Palace, with Tang soldiers everywhere along the route.

Nan Jiyun spurred his horse forward and bowed, saying, “Your humble servant Nan Jiyun shall escort the Princess and the ladies into the palace!” Out of habit, he still couldn’t change his wording. Moonlight smiled slightly and said, “I’m sorry for troubling everyone and preventing them from resting at such a late hour!”

“Protecting the Princess is our duty!” Nan Jiyun immediately ordered, “We can set off now!”

The carriage finally left the Prince Zhao’s mansion and headed toward the Daming Palace. Everyone looked out of the window at the mansion fading into the distance, their eyes filled with reluctance.

……

Tonight, the Princess Zhao’s entry into the palace was almost the top priority for the Chang’an army. All troops stationed in Chang’an stayed awake all night. Although many of them were not directly involved, as per military orders, every unit remained on high alert. From the Daming Palace to Mingde Gate, troops patrolled almost every important location. While most high-ranking generals went to the Daming Palace and Wubenfang to pledge loyalty, Hu Peiyun, the head of the Imperial Guard’s intelligence department, didn’t go anywhere. He stayed at the intelligence headquarters, also staying awake all night.

He had already received intelligence that hundreds of members of the royal family would gather that night to make a last-ditch effort to oppose Li Qing’an’s ascension to the throne.

“A last-ditch effort!” That was the word that came to Hu Peiyun’s mind. What was the point of the royal family’s resistance now? He couldn’t help but admire Li Qing’an’s foresight. He knew the royal family would be the biggest obstacle to his ascension, so over the years he had continuously weakened their power. Although their influence was now much weaker than before, at its lowest since the founding of the dynasty, they still had a say in choosing an emperor.

Li Qing’an launched a northern expedition on the eve of his ascension, waging a decisive battle to win the support of the entire nation. With the northern expedition’s great success and the nation’s enthusiasm at its peak, Li Qing’an’s reputation reached its zenith, making the royal family’s resistance insignificant.

Only then did Hu Peiyun understand why Li Qingan refused to compromise with the imperial family—any compromise would bring endless disasters. Li Qingan was determined not to compromise and used external wars to mobilize public opinion. A few hundred members of the declining imperial family could never oppose the 45 million people of the Tang Dynasty. By skillfully using external wars, Li Qingan turned the high-level power transition of an emperor’s ascension into a nationwide movement—a highly sophisticated tactic of power.

This made Hu Peiyun, who had long wondered why Li Qingan launched the war against the Uyghurs, suddenly see the light. He had thought Li Qingan was truly aiming to eliminate threats from the steppes, but now it seemed to be a form of power struggle, albeit more subtle and cunning.

At that moment, footsteps were heard outside. A soldier came in to report, “The Head of the Imperial Clan has arrived.”

“Let him in!”

Hu Peiyun stood up. The moment he had been waiting for had arrived. Soon, Li Yi, the Head of the Imperial Clan, rushed in, looking somewhat panicked. As soon as he entered, he said, “General Hu, they have already started.”

“Don’t panic. Speak slowly. Where? How many are there?”

Li Yi swallowed hard and said, “It’s at Prince Sheng’s residence. There are about 300 of them, secretly planning how to deal with the new emperor.”

Hu Peiyun nodded. 300 people—only half of them. It seemed many were too timid to show up. That was good; killing a few would serve as a warning to others!

He immediately ordered, “Send a message to the Imperial Guards, asking them to send troops immediately to surround Prince Sheng’s residence!”

When Du Gu Mingyue moved, only 5,000 of the 10,000 Imperial Guards were sent, with the other 5,000 borrowed by the Intelligence Bureau for urgent use. The general leading these 5,000 troops was Ji Sheng, the newly appointed Commander of the Imperial Guards who had just returned to the capital. Instead of going to his own post, he planned to work together with the Intelligence Bureau. This order—authorizing him to deploy troops—had been given by Li Qingan before the northern expedition.

Ji Sheng was also one of Li Qingan’s most trusted confidants. Among the audience permits issued by Li Qingan, his ranked eighth, even above Hu Peiyun, showing how much Li Qingan trusted him. Now, he was fully prepared—clad in armor, holding a battle sword, with his 5,000 soldiers ready to go.

In the darkness, a cavalryman rushed over and handed Ji Sheng a request letter. After taking a glance, Ji Sheng immediately ordered, “Send troops to Prince Sheng’s residence in the Sixteen Palaces!”

Prince Li Qi was the 21st son of Emperor Li Longji and one of the few remaining sons of the emperor. He had always led a low-profile life. During the years when the Tang Dynasty was divided between the north and south, he did not go to Chengdu but stayed in Chang’an, rarely leaving home, thus avoiding repeated purges.

However, his low profile did not mean he was timid. This time, when Li Qing’an was about to ascend the throne as emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he finally felt he could no longer remain silent. He had always believed that Li Qing’an could be the Prince of Zhao, the Supreme Commander of the Army, or the Grand Marshal of all troops, but certainly not emperor. The reason was simple: Li Qing’an was not a descendant of Emperor Taizong and did not have a legitimate lineage. He was a descendant of Li Jiancheng, who had been executed during the Xuanwu Gate Incident. How could his descendants ascend to the throne?

This was something Li Qi could never accept, and in fact, it was unacceptable to all members of the imperial family. Although Li Yi, the head of the imperial clan, expressed his support, it was only because he was also not a descendant of Emperor Taizong and could not represent the entire clan.

More than 320 members of the imperial family had been secretly organizing for over a month. Today, when the empress dowager officially issued an edict declaring Li Qing’an as the successor to the Tang throne, it drove them nearly mad. They gathered together at all costs to urgently discuss a course of action.

The hall of the prince’s mansion was filled with fervent emotions. More than 320 members of the imperial family denounced the absurdity of Li Qing’an’s ascension to the throne. Most of them were in their thirties or forties, having enjoyed wealth and glory since childhood. But in recent years, they had suffered repeated setbacks—their lands were seized, their wealth confiscated. Many who had fled to Chengdu returned to find their official residences and princely mansions taken away. They were forced to live in privately purchased houses, depleting their meager savings, and their living standards had deteriorated sharply. The reproaches from their families and the complaints from their descendants only fueled their anger, which was finally ignited by the news of Li Qing’an’s impending coronation.

“I don’t believe it! I absolutely refuse to believe it!”

The one who stepped forward and shouted loudly was a member of the imperial family in his thirties—Li Yan, the eldest son of the former crown prince Li Ying and the elder brother of Li Qiu. Li Qiu had committed suicide after the fall of the city, while Li Yan, who was serving as the Minister of Food in Chengdu, managed to slip back to Chang’an. He had originally been the Prince of Xinping, and his residence had also been confiscated. The gold and silver worth 200,000 guan, which he had hidden in a cellar, was also taken away, leaving him filled with grief and anger.

Everyone in the hall fell silent and looked at him. Li Yan raised his voice and said, “Gentlemen, I’ve thought long and hard. I suspect Li Qing’an is not even a member of the imperial family. He’s an imposter.”

His conclusion caused uproar among the more than 300 members of the royal family in the hall. Prince Sheng, Li Qi, also lost his calm and quickly interrupted Li Yan, “Prince, do you have any evidence?”
“There’s no direct evidence, but there are many suspicious points. For example, where are Li Qingan’s parents? What about his siblings? How could he be an only child? It’s utterly unreasonable for both of his parents to be dead.”
A fierce glint appeared in Li Yan’s eyes. “I suspect he killed all the real descendants of Jiancheng. After all, he’s the ruler there—no! Perhaps there are no such descendants at all; it’s all a fabrication by him.”
Li Yan’s suspicions resonated throughout the hall. The idea that Li Qingan was a descendant of Jiancheng was already unacceptable to them, and if he was also pretending to be part of the royal family, it would be absolutely outrageous. The entire hall was in chaos, filled with shouts and screams, like boiling water.
“Quiet! Everyone, be quiet!”
Prince Sheng, Li Qi, tried his best to calm everyone down. Once the hall settled slightly, he said passionately, “Whether it’s true or not, we must prevent Li Qingan from ascending the throne until his background is clarified. We must not let him undermine the legitimacy of the Tang Dynasty!”
“But… do we have any other options now?” someone asked anxiously.
“Yes!”
Prince Sheng, Li Qi, simply stood on the table and addressed the crowd from above, “We must announce to the whole world the truth about Li Qingan’s false claim to being part of the royal family, so that everyone despises him and he dares not ascend the throne. Time is of the essence—we’ll start acting tomorrow…”
Before Li Qi could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly widened. An arrow shot into the hall like lightning, its sharp tip heading straight for him. Before he could react, the arrow pierced his throat. Li Qi clutched his throat, his eyes bulging, before collapsing straight off the table.
At first, there was silence in the hall, followed by chaos. Everyone was terrified, covering their faces with their sleeves and fleeing in all directions. Li Yan, the Prince of Xinping who had just been convinced of Li Qingan’s false identity, was so scared he hid under the table.
With a loud crash, all the windows around were smashed open. More than 2,000 fully armed soldiers rushed into the hall, each carrying swords at their waists and crossbows in their hands, aiming at the panicked royal family members.
“Nobody moves! Anyone who moves will be killed!”
The arrival of the large group of soldiers and their fierce shouts made the royal family members freeze in fear, lying on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

At that moment, footsteps were heard, and Ji Sheng entered with over a hundred soldiers. He scanned the hall with a stern gaze and declared loudly, “Someone has reported that a rebellion is being planned here. By Tang law, such acts deserve execution!”
Hearing that execution was imminent, everyone was terrified. Li Yan was the first to shout, “General, spare our lives! We are all members of the Tang royal family, discussing how to support Prince Zhao to ascend the throne!”
Everyone secretly despised Li Yan, but at this moment, there was no time for that—saving one’s own life was paramount. They all started shouting in unison, “That’s right! We were just discussing supporting Prince Zhao to become king; we were not plotting a rebellion!”
Ji Sheng sneered. Hu Peiyun was right—these royals were all weaklings who would panic and flee at the slightest threat.
Ignoring them, he knew these royals had to be locked up for a few months first, forced to write confessions one by one.
With a wave of his hand, he ordered, “Take them all away and lock them in the Inner Guard prison for intense interrogation. Surely someone is plotting a rebellion!”
The soldiers rushed forward. Regardless of whether the royals cried, protested, or refused to get up, they grabbed them by the feet and necks, dragged them out of the Prince Sheng’s mansion, and threw them into dozens of iron carts that had been prepared. The doors were slammed shut, and the carts quickly headed toward the imperial city.
It was already the second watch of the night; the streets were under martial law, completely silent, with only the rain continuing to fall softly.