Chapter 273: The Only Opportunity

The red cloth slipped to the ground. Eunuch Han was deathly pale; not only his right hand, which had just held the cloth, but his entire body was trembling slightly.

His face ashen, he looked at Eunuch Li, who was standing nearby. Then he glanced outside, saw that guards were present, and his legs gave way, causing him to immediately kneel down.

Eunuch Li looked at him and spoke indifferently.

“Eunuch Han, His Majesty, acknowledging your many years of service, bestows upon you a length of white silk and a pot of poisoned wine. You may choose your preferred method. As for why you receive such a gift, Eunuch Han, you should know full well.”

“Huh… huh…”

The old eunuch on the ground looked at Eunuch Li, then at the tray held by the young eunuch, his face overcome with terror.

“No! No! I want to see His Majesty! I want to see His Majesty! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die… Please, Eunuch Li, inform His Majesty! Please, Eunuch Li, remember our years of working together!”

The old eunuch frantically crawled on his knees, trying to grab Eunuch Li’s leg, but the latter deftly dodged him. Seeing the eunuch's snot and tears, Eunuch Li truly feared that his clothes would be soiled and thus dishonor the Emperor’s sight later.

“Eunuch Han,” Eunuch Li said, “you couldn’t possibly be unaware of His Majesty’s temperament. If you had known this day would come, why would you have done what you did in the first place? It seems you won’t use the white silk yourself. Guards, force Eunuch Han to drink the wine!”

“Yes, sir!”

Several highly skilled guards immediately entered the room. Like eagles seizing a chick, they pinned the old eunuch, who was attempting to flee in panic, to the ground. One guard gently pinched his chin, forcing him to open his mouth.

Another guard took the wine pot. Without bothering to pour it into a cup, he simply opened the bottle and poured its contents directly into the old eunuch’s mouth.

“Ugh… ugh…”

The old eunuch struggled violently with his hands and feet, but his greatest efforts were negligible in the guards’ grip. After the poisoned wine was administered, a guard held his mouth shut to prevent him from vomiting.

Gradually, the old eunuch’s struggles weakened. Eventually, his limbs only twitched every few breaths, until he became still and silent.

The guards stood up.

“Rumble…”

A flash of lightning illuminated the old eunuch’s face on the ground. Purple foam oozed from his mouth, his face was bluish, and his eyes bulged, staring sightlessly.

The sky had been overcast for days, but it hadn’t rained. Tonight marked the first sound of thunder in days.

The sudden thunder and lightning that night startled many sleepless people awake, including the First Prince and Prince Jin.

When Eunuch Li returned to the imperial study, the old Emperor was lying on his couch, covered by a thin silk quilt, as a palace maid gently massaged his forehead.

Upon entering the imperial study, the old eunuch instinctively slowed and lightened his steps. He only spoke softly once he reached an appropriate distance.

“Your Majesty, Han Baishan has departed.”

The old Emperor opened his eyes and glanced at the eunuch. He waved his hand, and the palace maid by his side immediately stepped back a few paces.

“Hmm,” the Emperor said, “send someone to deliver the secret edicts on the desk to Qian Junke and Yu Han. Tell them to simply do their part and not worry too much.”

The old eunuch looked at the two scrolls of yellow silk imperial edicts on the desk in the imperial study and instinctively swallowed.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Not daring to guess the Emperor’s thoughts, the old eunuch bowed deeply, took the imperial edicts, and withdrew.

In a courtyard room at the largest inn in the capital prefecture, Yin Zhaoxian and Ji Yuan were discussing the growth of Yin’s second son.

Compared to Wei Wubei’s son, Wei Yuansheng, who was extraordinarily intelligent, Yin’s second son, barely three years old, seemed much more normal. He was smart, but not remarkably different from other children his age, and he only had a simple nickname, “Huer” (Tiger Cub).

When the thunder sounded, Ji Yuan and Yin Zhaoxian’s conversation quieted. Perhaps due to the recently made wager, Ji Yuan felt a premonition upon hearing the thunder. He turned to look out the window, quickly pinching his fingers in calculation. Though the details weren’t perfectly clear, he knew the wager was in his favor.

Yin Zhaoxian frowned as he watched Ji Yuan’s actions. Such an extraordinary and wise person as Ji Yuan must have sensed something.

“What is it, Mr. Ji? Have you sensed something amiss? Is there anything wrong with my son’s nickname?”

Ji Yuan shook his head.

“No, it has nothing to do with Huer,” he replied. “It concerns the wager between us. Master Yin, you will understand.”

The next day, what should have been a grand imperial audience was canceled due to Emperor Yuande’s illness.

However, by noon, Prince Wu in his residence appeared distraught.

“How could this be? How could this be? How is it possible?!”

Prince Wu paced back and forth in the hall, his face covered in fine beads of sweat. His usual composure and calm had vanished.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, do not panic!”

“Indeed, Your Highness, you must not lose your composure!”

Prince Wu looked at the several ministers and strategists gathered in the hall and spoke with a breathless voice.

“News from the palace claims Han Baishan accidentally fell into a well last night,” Prince Wu said, “but I know he died from poisoned wine. It’s clear that Father Emperor killed him because he found out about my affairs. How can I not be anxious, given Father Emperor’s temperament…”

Everyone in the hall was a trusted confidant of Prince Wu. In his desperation, Prince Wu, halfway through his sentence, suddenly turned to face them.

“Perhaps we should just…”

“No! Your Highness, you must not!”

Almost before Prince Wu had finished his sentence, an old minister loudly interjected, stopping him. Several others present also understood his implication and rushed to dissuade him.

“Your Highness, Lord Zhang is right; you absolutely must not entertain such thoughts now!”

“Indeed, Your Highness. Since you believe the Emperor has already caught on, any hasty move now is bound to fail!”

“Ah!” Prince Wu slapped his thigh forcefully.

“Extremely difficult to succeed still leaves a glimmer of hope,” Prince Wu argued. “Father Emperor has already begun to purge the covert agents I planted. When I am completely powerless to resist, it will be too late for everything. If I didn’t still have eyes and ears in the palace, I would still be completely in the dark, and would die a confused fool. But now, I still have a chance to fight…”

“That’s right, Your Highness! If you decide to act, we will certainly follow you!”“This humble general will do the same!”

Several military officials chimed in agreement.

“Your Highness! Hear this old minister out!”

The same old minister from the Department of the Secretariat suddenly spoke again, causing a temporary silence in the hall. The impatient Prince Wu also suppressed his anger and looked at him, though his expression was not good.

“Prince Wu, compared to Eunuch Han, are your other informants in the palace hidden more deeply?”

Prince Wu paused, frowning, and did not answer immediately.

“Your Highness,” the old minister ventured, “this old minister dares to say that the killing of Han Baishan might have been deliberately orchestrated by His Majesty for you to find out. Since His Majesty already knew everything about Eunuch Han, it’s possible the same applies to your other informants!”

Prince Wu instinctively shuddered, his face growing even paler.

“Your Highness, do not panic,” the minister urged. “You must not act now, or all will be lost. If you can remain patient, we might still have a chance!”

“What chance?”“Speak clearly!”

Several people who hadn't yet understood impatiently questioned him, while some astute individuals began to ponder deeply. Meanwhile, the old minister bowed respectfully to Prince Wu.

“Prince Wu, we now have only one path: to wait patiently, and never entertain rash thoughts again! Please, Your Highness, reconsider!”

“Please, Your Highness, reconsider!”“Please, Your Highness, reconsider!”

Several people who had understood the implication, one after another, pleaded with him. Prince Wu was not foolish; it was just difficult for him to remain calm as the person directly involved. Even though he now understood, he still struggled to quell the intense unease and anxiety in his heart. He simply felt too insecure.

Nevertheless, he was able to force himself to make the correct judgment.

“Very well! I will wait!”

That same afternoon, at Prince Jin’s residence, Prince Jin and a few people around him also learned of Han Baishan’s alleged “accidental fall into a well” the previous night.

However, Prince Jin’s informants were unable to obtain the fact that Han Baishan had died from poisoned wine.

But lacking informants didn’t mean they couldn’t guess. In fact, both Li Mushu and Prince Jin himself deduced that Han Baishan had definitely been murdered, not met with an accident.

Especially since their informers reported that Prince Wu had urgently summoned many confidants to his residence. Although their movements were discreet, they did not escape the notice of some of Prince Jin’s covert agents.

“Listening to Eunuch Li, it seems Han Baishan might have been Prince Wu’s informant close to His Majesty?” The head of the Chu family said, surprised.

“Prince Wu is truly audacious, daring to influence the Emperor’s personal eunuch?”

“My elder brother’s audacity is certainly great,” Prince Jin replied, appearing somewhat lost in thought.

A minor advisor in the hall also interjected. “If that’s the case, then Prince Wu and his faction must be extremely unsettled, right? They must have done something out of line. We just learned that Prince Wu has extended his influence to the Imperial Guards’ Zhangjian Battalion and the Southern Army. What if Prince Wu suddenly makes a move?”

Li Mushu shook his head and chuckled. “Since His Majesty has already dealt with Han Baishan, everything is now in His Majesty’s hands. It’s possible he also knows about Prince Wu’s involvement with the Imperial Guards. We just don’t know how heavily His Majesty will strike with this blow—will it merely bring him down from the clouds, or will it be a death blow…”

The head of the Chu family looked at Li Mushu and added, “If Prince Wu were to launch an uprising, the chances of success are low. However, given his temperament, he might choose to fight to the death. We must guard against that!”

Li Mushu looked at him, about to speak, when he suddenly noticed that Prince Jin had been preoccupied since earlier.

“Your Highness, isn’t this good news? Why do you seem so troubled?”

Prince Jin smiled at his teacher. “It is good news, of course…”

But Prince Jin’s smile quickly faded, and he continued. “I was just thinking, what if, even at this point, Father Emperor still intends to make my elder brother the Crown Prince?”

“Ah?!”“This…”

“Is that possible?”

Prince Jin narrowed his eyes and looked out of the hall, towards the garden where an auspicious sign had appeared that winter.

“Haha, I’ll assume that’s the case,” he said. “But while it was a hopeless situation for us before, now there’s a glimmer of opportunity…”

Prince Jin turned back.

“Teacher, I believe my elder brother will still choose to revolt, and if he can’t make up his mind, we will help him!”

“Your Highness, you…”

“Teacher, I know what you’re going to say,” Prince Jin interrupted, “but I see this as the only opportunity, the sole chance. After all, we are brothers, and in terms of courage, I am no less than my elder brother!”