Chapter 64: A Cut Above

The Little Emperor paid a heavy price to save his maternal uncle. First, he used his private treasury to “bribe” several heavyweights under the Prime Minister’s faction. Then, he reluctantly let his loyal ministers take the blame for his uncle. Only then did the court fall silent, with no one daring to speak out.

While Meng Congyun was recuperating at home and had yet to return to court, the Little Emperor finally managed to extricate his uncle. He promptly promoted him with honors, bestowing upon him the title of Duke of Zhen.

The Little Emperor’s sacrifices had little to do with familial affection. What he truly wanted was the military power in his uncle’s hands.

With the Prime Minister controlling the armies around the Capital City, it was like having a knife held to his throat. Any hint of disloyalty, and the Prime Minister could strike him down at any moment.

Without troops of his own, he could only fawn and grovel before her like a bootlicking grandson. Was someone like that even an emperor? The very notion was laughable.

Thus, after General Zhao returned victorious from the battlefield, the Little Emperor began to entertain restless ambitions. His uncle was family, after all—far preferable to an ambitious outsider like the Prime Minister. Moreover, his Mother Empress had always praised this uncle’s unwavering loyalty to the imperial family before her death. She had often urged him to rely on his uncle after ascending the throne.

The current predicament, combined with his Mother Empress’s nightly admonitions from the past, led the Little Emperor to place his bets on his uncle. He hoped the man would secretly lead troops back to the capital to rescue him, slay the Prime Minister, and protect the throne.

However, to safeguard his safety, his uncle dared not charge in with an army, fearing the Prime Minister left in the Capital City would turn against him. If she took the Little Emperor hostage, General Zhao would be paralyzed, unable to act rashly.

That was why his uncle had risked his life, returning alone after the failed assassination attempt on the Prime Minister, only to find himself trapped in the general’s residence.

Most of his several hundred thousand troops remained stationed at the border. Only a few tens of thousand had taken a covert route, sneaking into the mountains dozens of li from the Capital City. They lay in wait, ready at any moment to march to the emperor’s aid and protect the throne.

This force might seem small, but it was a surprise detachment. If it caught the Prime Minister off guard, it could slay that arrogant traitor in one fell swoop!

Only then could the Liang Kingdom truly be considered his domain!

Imagining that future, the Little Emperor grew so excited that he couldn’t sleep. He mentally plotted how to further erode the Prime Minister’s influence, elevating his uncle to regent. His uncle had promised that once he could stand toe-to-toe with the Prime Minister, he would immediately support the Little Emperor’s personal rule.

During the Prime Minister’s recovery period, General Zhao—now Duke of Zhen—had crates of gold, silver, and jewels smuggled into the Capital City under cover of night. These flowed into the homes of court heavyweights through bribes or threats. The emperor’s uncle spared no means. From then on, the winds of court began to shift. Voices defending the Prime Minister dwindled, while supporters of the Duke of Zhen multiplied. Faintly, it seemed he could rival her.

Though the Little Emperor held no real power, his daily perch on the Dragon Throne had taught him one thing: reading the expressions of the courtiers. He noticed the change and rejoiced. Unaware of the private machinations, he attributed it all to his uncle’s formidable abilities.

When the Prime Minister returned to court once more, the Little Emperor watched as her decree failed to pass for the first time. Her deflated expression nearly made him burst out laughing. If he hadn’t been clutching his thigh in a death grip, he might not have held it in!

Hadn’t the court she had so painstakingly cultivated over the years changed overnight?

Yet his uncle—the newly enfeoffed Duke of Zhen—appeared deeply worried. He believed the Prime Minister’s roots in court ran deep. They had seized a momentary advantage while she was gravely ill, but it might not last. They needed to prepare for her inevitable counterattack.

His uncle’s words rang true. The Prime Minister’s prestige weighed heavily on the Little Emperor’s heart; he knew full well how formidable Meng Congyun was. His earlier excitement evaporated like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, instantly sobering him.

Seeing the Little Emperor’s expression darken, the Duke of Zhen quickly reassured him. “Your Majesty need not worry. Though the Prime Minister is difficult to deal with, she has one fatal weakness.”

“What weakness?” the Little Emperor asked in a hushed voice.

The Duke of Zhen replied, “Though our previous assassination failed, it left her gravely wounded. Her constitution is frail; after this ordeal, her days are probably numbered.”

“Your Majesty may not know, but after court yesterday, this subject secretly saw that she required attendants to support her just to walk. Her poise in court was mere bravado at the end of her rope. Your Majesty need only wait a little longer—perhaps she won’t last.”

“The Prime Minister is dying?” The Little Emperor’s eyes widened, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

“Your Majesty should send an imperial physician to the Prime Minister’s Residence for a consultation. Of course, it’s best to use one of this subject’s physicians. This subject will also visit to probe her condition.”

“Uncle thinks of everything. We shall dispatch the physician at once. Sorry to trouble you with the trip!” Trusting the Duke of Zhen’s capabilities, the Little Emperor followed his advice without question.

“Yes.” The Duke of Zhen bowed and withdrew. As he left, however, he sensed a venomous gaze upon him. When he searched for the source, he found nothing—it must have been his imagination.

The Duke of Zhen paused a moment. Detecting no anomalies, he departed the Imperial Palace.

Only after his figure vanished did the Old Eunuch emerge, his face twisted in malice.

Ever since the Duke of Zhen arrived, the Little Emperor trusted his uncle above all, sidelining him completely. The courtiers were shrewd; those sending him gifts had grown scarce!

Most infuriatingly, the Duke had urged the Little Emperor to shun him, lumping him with the likes of Meng Congyun as a scheming villain. The Old Eunuch had hoped to ally with the Duke to topple the Prime Minister first, then divvy up power. But now, it seemed the Duke was worse—at least Meng Congyun had never told the emperor to avoid him or pointed at his nose, calling him a rootless wretch.

“Heh, you want to play the loyal minister, do you?” The Old Eunuch sneered, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Then I’ll show you the price of loyalty.”

He spat, then pushed open the Little Emperor’s bedchamber door and presented a bowl of his favorite sweet soup.

“Your Majesty has worked hard. Come, taste the new soup this old slave prepared.”

The Little Emperor was in high spirits. He tossed his head back and downed it in a few gulps. “Today’s soup seems a bit sweeter?”

“This old slave used the same amount of sugar. This sweetness… is probably because Your Majesty is in such fine fettle today. Everything tastes sweeter!” The Old Eunuch fawned, massaging the Little Emperor’s shoulders to relax him. “What good fortune befell Your Majesty today? Tell this old slave, so he can share in the joy.”

“It’s that matter with the Prime Minister—you know.” The Little Emperor recounted the recent events to the Old Eunuch. “For the first time, We saw her eat dirt. If she truly won’t last much longer, We’ll throw a grand banquet to celebrate!”

The Little Emperor laughed heartily. “How could We not be happy about this?”

“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Joyous tidings!” The Old Eunuch showered him with flattery, sending him soaring. But then his tone turned grave.

“However, Your Majesty, are you certain the Duke of Zhen is completely trustworthy?” The Old Eunuch feigned deep concern. “You’re raising another tiger that might turn on you—be careful it doesn’t bite the hand that feeds it!”

“How could that be? Why would the Duke of Zhen betray Us?” The Little Emperor waved it off in disbelief.

“The late emperor thought the same. He entrusted you to the Prime Minister to counter the forces of King Su and the Eldest Princess. Those two fell, but now the Prime Minister dominates the court—arrogant and overbearing as can be?”

Seeing the Little Emperor still skeptical, the Old Eunuch played his trump card.

“Your Majesty, you don’t truly believe the Duke’s army is still guarding the border, do you?”

While the Old Eunuch sowed these doubts in the Little Emperor’s mind, an ordinary palace maid sweeping outside paused for a moment. She then returned to her quarters, produced a special tool, and penned a message.

When Meng Congyun received it, the Duke of Zhen hadn’t even arrived yet.

Unbothered by Nian Zhi’an’s presence, Meng let her peek. The ever-curious Nian Zhi’an craned her neck for a look.

“That Old Eunuch wants to take down the Duke of Zhen?” Nian Zhi’an raised an eyebrow. Was this why Meng Congyun said he wouldn’t last two more days?

That Old Eunuch was insidious as a viper—one careless bite, and you might be poisoned to death.

“The Duke’s temperament is straightforward. No sooner had he returned than he told the emperor to shun villains. How could that eunuch tolerate him?” Meng Congyun reclined on the bed, savoring Nian Zhi’an’s gentle hand-feeding of medicine.

“That makes sense.” Nian Zhi’an picked up a piece of candied fruit and fed it to Meng Congyun’s mouth to offset the bitterness.

“So, you deliberately showed signs of weakness in court to fan the flames between those two?” The Prime Minister had only been away from court for a few days—how could the Duke of Zhen have bought off nearly half the people already? Even thinking with her toes, Nian Zhi’an knew something was off.

Meng Congyun smiled. She stroked Nian Zhi’an’s head and said, “If I can borrow someone else’s hand to eliminate an enemy, why not?”

“It’s just a pity that the Duke of Zhen is no match for that eunuch. I’m afraid I’ll still have to clean things up personally later.”

Nian Zhi’an nuzzled into Meng Congyun’s embrace. “I can help you. Leave what comes after that old eunuch to me. You should just rest and recuperate properly. Look, even the Duke of Zhen thinks you won’t last much longer! Could you really bear to leave me all alone in this world, going on ahead without me?”

Under Nian Zhi’an’s whining complaints, the Prime Minister had no choice but to agree to her proposal, granting herself a bit more time to rest.

Meng Congyun lightly stroked Her Highness’s temples, then planted a kiss on her face. “Very well. Let your teacher check if Your Highness has fallen behind in your studies these past years. If your lessons aren’t up to par, there will be punishment.”