Empress Xiao Yan knew this was a necessary ritual. She could not skip it. She sighed silently, letting the ministers' fake grief over the Wu Emperor's death play out.
"How could I make light of such a serious matter?" When the ministers' wailing subsided, Xiao Yan turned to face the court. "Prime Minister Zhang and the King of Danyang can both testify." With this, the remaining doubts of the officials were completely erased.
"Our deepest condolences, Your Majesty!" the ministers knelt.
"Please rise," Xiao Yan said with a practiced grace. A tear slid from the corner of her eye. "Though my heart is filled with sorrow, I must not let my personal grief interfere with matters of the state. The most important issue facing us now is the war. Our nation has just suffered a defeat, and our Emperor has died in a foreign land. We must fear that Beipan or even An will take this opportunity to attack. I ask the King of Danyang and Prime Minister Zhang: if this happens, how shall we respond?"
"I believe we should hold a defensive stance," Zhang Song said after a moment of thought. "Though our strength has been diminished, An's most powerful tribe, the Central Shazhou, was annihilated ten days ago. They are in no position to attack us. The only real threat is Beipan, who might take advantage of our weakness."
"I disagree," the King of Danyang scoffed. "We should form an alliance with An to fight Beipan." His words surprised the ministers. The Wu Emperor had died in An; even if it was an "accident," the hatred could not be easily erased.
"Beipan's iron hooves once trampled over nineteen provinces of Wu!" the King of Danyang continued, dispelling most of their doubts. Though Wu and An had their own conflicts over land and resources, Beipan was different. They were bandits who came to burn, kill, and pillage. A united front with An against Beipan now seemed a sensible course of action.
"I only know that war requires funds!" Zhang Song said, not to be outdone. "The Emperor's campaign at Tianguan Pass wiped out our army, and we had to pay ten thousand carts of gold in ransom! Our treasury is now empty. The Ministry of Revenue cannot support another war." The two men bickered back and forth, and the other ministers were torn. Both sides seemed to have valid points.
"I have heard your thoughts," Xiao Yan finally interjected. "Matters of state are like matters of family. Since the Emperor is gone, the nation cannot be without a ruler. I intend to recommend the King of Danyang for the throne."
A hush fell over the court. The ministers were all in shock, and even the King of Danyang looked disbelieving. He knew Xiao Yan had political ambitions, so he couldn't understand why she would recommend him for the throne.
Xiao Yan, of course, had her reasons. She was following Wei Tingyu's plan. He had instructed her that the animosity between the King of Danyang and Zhang Song would guarantee that whoever took the throne, the other would not go down without a fight.
"Your Majesty, you cannot!" Zhang Song was the first to speak. "The Emperor's death in a fire in An is suspicious! Why would they kill a valuable hostage? It makes no sense to burn him and make a mortal enemy of Wu!" Zhang Song was all but accusing the King of Danyang of orchestrating the murder.
"I have had my own suspicions that the King of Danyang had a hand in the Emperor's death," Xiao Yan said, fanning the flames. "Frankly, no one wants the King of Danyang to take the throne more than I do! But I also know that the nation needs a mature ruler!" At these words, the King of Ying, who had been silent, suddenly perked up. Many ministers also cast surreptitious glances at him. If the King of Danyang was unsuitable, the King of Ying was a good alternative. He might have a limp, but it didn't affect his mind. It was a better choice than a man suspected of murdering the previous emperor.
Xiao Yan saw the ministers' eyes darting to the King of Ying and noted the change in his expression. She smirked. Wei Tingyu was right; no one could resist the temptation of the throne, not even the King of Ying, who had pretended to be disinterested. This was why she had insisted on his presence at the meeting. Wei Tingyu had told her the King of Ying's ambition was no less than the King of Danyang's; he had simply kept it hidden. Today was the King of Ying's last chance. If he missed it and the King of Danyang became emperor, he would have no future.
Zhang Song, an old fox, saw the same thing. The King of Ying on the throne would be a much better option for him than the King of Danyang, who was his political rival.
"Empress, please wait!" Zhang Song stepped forward. "I recommend the King of Ying for the throne! The reasons are obvious to all the ministers and to you."
"Yes! I also support the King of Ying!" another minister shouted. "He is pure and kind! He was incredibly loyal to the late Emperor. We all saw him faint from grief when he volunteered to go to An!" The other ministers, except for Zhang Song's faction, agreed. The King of Ying was a better choice than a potential murderer. They had been moved by his earlier performance.
The King of Ying was elated. He had been waiting for this moment. Half the court was now supporting him. But he quickly composed himself. He had to maintain the act. He bowed to Xiao Yan. "My sister-in-law, I would follow you and the other officials in supporting my brother, the King of Danyang! The affairs of the state are urgent, but rituals must be respected. Since you have been so just, the late Emperor's funeral must be given the greatest honors. I am an unworthy man, but I am willing to serve as the Zongzheng Ling [Official in charge of royal family affairs] and handle the state funeral. During this time, my brother can prepare to take the throne and command the army."
The King of Ying's words seemed to be in support of the King of Danyang, but they had the opposite effect. The ministers were now even more convinced he should be emperor. He had so little ambition, they thought. His lack of desire for power would mean he would give more authority to his subordinates, making their lives easier.
The King of Danyang's face had been dark. He was furious that his brother had gained so much support. Now, as the King of Ying spoke, his eyes filled with a murderous intent. His brother would not be allowed to live. As soon as he became emperor, he would have him confined and then quietly murdered.
"We second this motion!" With Xiao Yan and the King of Ying both appearing to support the King of Danyang, the other ministers had no more to say. They all knelt. Zhang Song, who had been thinking, frowned but said nothing. He would have to wait for an opportunity. To oppose now would be to swim against the tide.
"Granted," the King of Danyang said, staring at the King of Ying.
"Then please, brother, come to the ancestral temple for the sacrificial ceremony," the King of Ying said, bowing his head. A sly glint in his eye was caught by Xiao Yan. The King of Ying was indeed a cunning player. He had hidden his ambition within his disability for so long. Now was the time for him to strike. His biggest mistake was thinking he was the final victor. He didn't know an eagle was watching him from a branch.
Xiao Yan was confident of her victory. She watched the two princes perform their roles. When the King of Danyang and the ministers left for the ancestral temple, the hall was left with only Xiao Yan and her loyal palace maid. Looking at the empty hall, Xiao Yan felt a pang of melancholy. She had always wanted to be a powerful woman, to have all the men in the court at her feet. But now she felt exhausted. Her past ambitions seemed childish and laughable. She had never suspected the King of Ying's schemes. If not for Wei Tingyu's help and the two sharp-witted Golden Shadow Guards he had left, she would have fallen into the King of Ying's trap, and the Wu kingdom would have been under his control. The thought made her shiver.
"I don't know what the future holds," Xiao Yan sighed as she walked out of the hall with her maid. "I only hope the Marquis can return soon to take charge. I want to shed this heavy burden."
"Your Majesty is decisive," the maid said with a smile. "The Marquis will surely remember your contributions."
"It's too early to talk of contributions," Xiao Yan smiled back. "There's one last step."
They had reached the courtyard. There were many eunuchs, palace maids, and guards around. This was the perfect place for her next act. Xiao Yan suddenly frowned and clutched her fake pregnant belly. A prepared blood packet burst, and blood trickled down her leg.
"Your Majesty!" the maid cried out in a panic, perfectly playing her part. "Blood!" Everyone nearby turned and saw the Empress "miscarrying."
"Something felt wrong in the court," Xiao Yan said, pretending to be in pain. "I can't stand."
"Summon the imperial doctor! We must save the child!" the maid yelled. The eunuchs and palace maids panicked. They were all witnesses. If the child couldn't be saved, they might all be punished. The courtyard descended into chaos. Only Xiao Yan and her maid exchanged a knowing glance, their plan having succeeded.
At the ancestral temple, the King of Danyang, the King of Ying, and the officials had arrived. The King of Danyang was helping his disabled brother into the temple, and the ministers were moved by the sight.
"What deep brotherly love!"
"Indeed! And his governance is excellent, too."
Zhang Song's political rivals were smug. As long as he didn't control the court, they were happy. One of them said sarcastically to Zhang Song, "Prime Minister Zhang, it is what it is. You should accept it. The new Emperor has already sworn that you will remain the Prime Minister."
Everyone knew such oaths were meaningless. Once the King of Danyang was on the throne, he would eliminate Zhang Song's faction and then have him arrested. Zhang Song would be lucky if he was simply exiled. His rivals were waiting for his downfall.
Zhang Song simply smiled coldly and looked at the sky. There was nothing he could do.
"My ancestors, listen to me!" Inside the temple, the King of Danyang knelt before the ancestral tablets. "Yang Xingjian, the eleventh son of the Yang clan, has been recommended by the officials..."
His words were cut short. The King of Ying, who had been standing behind him, suddenly struck him on the back of his neck with his cane. The King of Danyang, completely unprepared, collapsed, coughing up blood. His neck bone was likely fractured. He had not expected his brother to do such a thing in the sacred ancestral temple.