Chapter 508 — Turning the Tables
Purple Streets of Chang'an Page 2 of 2
"A fine idea!" Dou Yan praised, and Chen Lanxu and the others all let out a breath together, wearing faint smiles.
Duan Bing left with Gu Yu.
Chen Jia escorted Dou Yan and the rest to the Divine Pivot Camp.
By then, those left at the Divine Pivot Camp were all Ma Youming's trusted men.
Wang Xu was merely confined to a room. Hearing that Dou Yan and his mother had come, he had his personal servant bring out his treasured Da Hong Pao tea to entertain Dou Yan.
Dou Yan accepted the kindness and sent Chen Lanxu over to offer thanks.
By noon, word came out of the capital.
The Five Barracks Army had only ever had part of its strength guarding the forbidden palace; the Five City Garrison and the Divine Pivot Camp joined forces and quickly defeated the men of the Five Barracks Army, while the Embroidered Uniform Guard shielded Prince Liao and the Empress and, seizing the Emperor, withdrew to Jade Spring Mountain. Liang Jifen and Dou Bingheng soon arrived at Jade Spring Mountain and urged Prince Liao to release the Emperor; Yao Zhongshi and Mu Chuan, arriving after them, wore ashen faces and, together with the wilted-looking Dai Jian, kept watch in the Grand Secretariat's duty room.
Wang Xu shook his head with a bitter smile.
Matters having come to this, whether the Emperor lived or died no longer mattered.
Who would have thought Ma Youming would actually succeed!
Perhaps there were simply too many men like himself—men who would neither offend Prince Liao nor dare to aid the Heir Apparent?
He lay in his reclining chair, rocking to and fro, tallying up the meritorious ministers of this affair.
As for himself, his official career was finished.
Still, at least he had preserved his life and fortune, withdrawing unscathed. Not like Shi Chuan, who had lost everything.
He sighed again.
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Song Yan was eager to go fetch Dou Yan.
Cui Yijun said anxiously, "The palace is still a scene of devastation..."
"The princes and great ministers are here. Nothing will come of it," Song Yan said resolutely. "I still don't know how my wife is faring." His eyes were red as he spoke.
Cui Yijun frowned.
But the Heir Apparent said gently, "Go. And be sure to comfort Lady Dou well—she too was caught up in my troubles."
Song Yan bowed in gratitude and hurried from the palace.
Cui Yijun could not help muttering, "How can the Heir Apparent set aside the affairs of state?"
The Heir Apparent shot him a glance and said with feeling, "Loyalty and filial piety have never gone hand in hand since ancient times. A man like him—that is a man of substance." He paused briefly, then added, "If at such a moment he set aside wife and child and thought only of winning merit and glory, would you dare be his colleague? Would I dare to employ him?"
Cui Yijun thought it over carefully and could not help smiling. "Your Highness is indeed wise."
The Heir Apparent said nothing.
Ji Yong appeared before the Heir Apparent, panting for breath.
He asked around: "Where has Song Yantang gone?"
"He spoke a few words with His Highness and then went out," someone said, "but where, I don't know."
"Then which way did he go?"
Someone pointed the way.
He thanked them and hurried off in pursuit.
The Heir Apparent pondered a long while, then instructed Cui Junyi: "Go and look into just what grudge lies between Ji Jianming and Song Yantang."
Cui Junyi assented.
In the end Ji Yong did not catch up with Song Yan.
But he dared not pursue any further.
The grand secretaries were deliberating over how to draft the proclamation; his uncle had been defeated by Dou Bingheng in the contest for a grand secretary's post within the Grand Secretariat, and this time Dai Jian had fallen from favor—perhaps Mu Chuan too would be pressured into retirement. This might well be an opportunity, and he must find a way to give his uncle a push.
He sent a servant to the Yingzhen Duke's residence to ask after Dou Zhiwei, while he himself went to the Grand Secretariat's duty room—the proclamation drafted there had to be shown to the Heir Apparent before it could be issued.
And by the time Song Yan reached the Divine Pivot Camp, the sun was already setting in the west.
Dou Yan was standing in the garden, all smiles, watching his grandmother take Yuan Heng to dig wild greens!
Song Zhi's eyes were instantly moist; standing in the winding covered walk of the garden, his feet felt as though filled with lead, and he could not move a step.
Yuan Heng was the one who spotted him. He flung down the flowers and grasses in his hands and came running over with a shout of laughter.
"Papa, Papa!" He dived headlong into Song Zhi's arms.
Dou Xin came walking up and said, "Is everything in the city taken care of?"
No alarm, no scolding, no reproach, no anger—as though he had merely stepped out for a while and was now back.
Was she truly so confident in him?
Confident that he would protect her, confident that he would pass through danger safe and sound, confident that he would surely give her a steady future.
And that, perhaps, was the very reason he had come to care for her so deeply.
Song Yan clutched Dou Yan fiercely to his chest; heedless of the startled cries, he gathered Dou Yan into his arms with all his strength.
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Sisters and brothers, here is today's update.
ps: Only two or three chapters left before the story ends—I'm so reluctant to let it go...