The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 162 The Liao Emperor Is Dead!
Mei Shengze, courtesy name Ling Fu.
A few days ago, Mei Shengze and Wang Xiao were captured by Yu Chaosheng and escorted back to the capital.
Although the matter was not widely publicized, it was also not concealed, and naturally, the news quickly reached the Mei family in Northern Zhili. The Mei family was not an influential aristocratic clan but rather a wealthy gentry family. Their ancestors had produced a single successful imperial examination candidate at the jinshi level, followed by two or three juren (provincial examination passers). Mei Shengze was the second jinshi in the Mei family, but now that he had fallen into misfortune, the Mei family was helpless. Mei Shengze’s father had no choice but to seek out Tang Shen for help.
Choking with emotion, Mei’s father pleaded, "Tang daren, this humble commoner dares not disturb you, but I have nowhere else to turn. Ling Fu has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeon. My Mei family may not be a grand household, but we have never let my son suffer from lack of food or clothing. Please, for the sake of your shared schooldays, save Ling Fu! I beg you!"
Before he could finish speaking, Mei Shengze’s father made to kneel again.
The government worker beside Tang Shen was a seasoned bureaucrat, well-versed in official etiquette. Some things were inconvenient for Tang Shen to say outright, but the government worker, catching Tang Shen’s glance, immediately understood. He quickly grabbed Mei Shengze’s father’s arm and said, "Elder, what are you doing? This is the Ministry of Works' office. If you kneel here before the Right Vice Minister, are you trying to get him impeached by the censors at tomorrow’s court assembly?"
Mei Shengze’s father hesitated, "I..."
The government worker continued, "Please, come this way first."
Tang Shen said slowly, "Uncle, let us first return to my residence."
Temporarily removing him from the Ministry of Works’ premises, Tang Shen took Mei Shengze’s father to the Right Vice Minister’s residence. He immediately ordered his page boy Feng Bi to serve tea and water.
Tang Shen asked with concern, "Ling Fu was just brought back to the capital four days ago, and yet you've already arrived. Have you had any rest on the journey?"
Mei Shengze’s father’s eyes were red with exhaustion. "I wouldn’t dare deceive you, daren. How could I possibly have slept?"
Tang Shen sighed.
Mei Shengze’s current predicament, while not entirely his fault, was not completely unrelated to him either.
Yu Chaosheng’s real target this time was Wang Zhen. Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze were merely pawns in his scheme against Wang Zhen. This dynasty did not execute civil officials, so Mei Shengze’s likely fate was banishment to a remote, impoverished county as a minor magistrate, living out his days in obscurity. At worst, he would be dismissed from office and sent home, never to re-enter officialdom.
Tang Shen solemnly assured, "Uncle, rest easy. With me here, Ling Fu will not come to harm."
Hearing these words, Mei Shengze’s father finally relaxed. But then he remembered something, and his anxiety surged again, twisting his heart with fear. "Daren! Ling Fu is still in the Ministry of Justice’s prison. How could an ordinary person survive such a place? Please, I beg you, save him! He cannot endure such suffering!"
Tang Shen patted the back of Mei Shengze’s father’s hand. "Uncle, rest assured. I have made arrangements and will not stand idly by."
Now completely relieved, Mei Shengze’s father, without giving Tang Shen a chance to react, fell to his knees with a loud thud and knocked his head against the ground twice. Just as he was about to bow a third time, Tang Shen hurriedly stepped forward to lift him up.
"Daren, you are the great benefactor of my Mei family! Our family’s savior! In my next life, I will serve you as an ox or a horse to repay this debt!"
Tang Shen responded, "Uncle, you will shorten my life if you say such things. Ling Fu and I have been classmates for many years. How could I turn a blind eye to his plight? It’s not ideal for you to stay in the capital for now. Return to Northern Zhili first. Once everything is settled, I will notify you."
After sending Mei Shengze’s father away, Tang Shen’s expression darkened.
He summoned Feng Bi. "Take my personal order to the Ministry of Justice and do as follows..."
Feng Bi accepted the command and was about to leave with Tang Shen’s token, but before he could step out, Tang Shen stopped him.
"Forget it. You would likely return empty-handed. The Ministry of Justice is Yu Chaosheng’s domain. If he wants something done, the officials there will listen to him. No one will grant me this favor."
After a moment of thought, Tang Shen reached a decision. He changed into casual robes and, just before sunset, hurried to the Minister Residence.
Wang Zhen was having dinner at home when he saw Tang Shen arrive. Delighted, he stood up and greeted him.
"What brings you here?"
Tang Shen, having rushed over quickly, had a fine sheen of sweat coating his forehead. He said nothing but fixed Wang Zhen with a steady gaze.
Understanding his meaning, Wang Zhen dismissed the servants.
"Leave us."
The steward complied, and soon, only Wang Zhen and Tang Shen remained in the hall. Without wasting time, Tang Shen spoke directly.
"The Song Dynasty does not execute civil officials, but there is no law against torturing them. I know that the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review have many brutal methods that leave no visible marks. Senior Brother, before, Yu Chaosheng dared not act rashly. He first submitted a memorial to test your reaction. Now that he has gauged your stance, his next move will be to strike at Brother Dai Yue and Brother Sheng Ze."
Wang Zhen regarded Tang Shen quietly for a moment before looking away. He picked up a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks and placed it in Tang Shen’s bowl.
"Little Junior Brother, eat some shrimp."
Tang Shen was stunned for a long moment, not moving his chopsticks, still staring at Wang Zhen.
Wang Zhen added another piece of meat and a crab to his bowl.
This unexpected response forced Tang Shen to calm down. His mind raced, analyzing Yu Chaosheng’s schemes, the precarious positions of Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze, and Wang Zhen’s reaction.
Finally, he sighed deeply.
"Senior Brother, you are not a heartless man. If you could act, you would have done so already. The fact that you haven’t means there are only two possibilities."
Wang Zhen asked, "Oh? What two possibilities?"
Tang Shen replied, "First, you cannot act now. You are already under great scrutiny. Any move you make could turn you into a public target. Second... perhaps Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze must suffer first, in order for you to free yourself. I don’t yet understand your exact plan, but I trust you have one."
Wang Zhen smiled faintly, pointing at the dishes with his chopsticks. "Little Junior Brother, do you still want to eat?"
Tang Shen sighed. "How can I have an appetite now?"
Wang Zhen put down his chopsticks. "Very well, come to the study with me and help me grind the ink."
Tang Shen’s eyes lit up. Was Wang Zhen finally about to act?
He eagerly followed Wang Zhen into the study and carefully ground the ink for him. Wang Zhen took a blank memorial from the shelf, placed it on the desk, and lifted his brush. But just before he wrote, he hesitated, scrutinized the paper, and then put it back, selecting a thicker one instead.
"Jing Ze, grind the ink for me."
Tang Shen craned his neck.
With quick strokes, elegant characters filled the page. Tang Shen watched attentively, but as he read, his expression changed.
"A self-reproach memorial?!"
Wang Zhen let out a light chuckle, his hand continuing to move quickly as he wrote.
He wrote fast, but he wrote so much—enough that an hour had passed—that even Tang Shen felt exhausted just watching, his own hand aching in sympathy. And yet, Wang Zhen was still not finished!
Before seeing it with his own eyes, Tang Shen never would have imagined that Wang Zifeng could write such a heartfelt, painstakingly sincere self-reproach—at least ten thousand words long!
Most memorials of such length were filled with flowery phrases and meaningless laments. But Wang Zifeng was different. Every single word was clear and well-structured, every sentence convincing. Reading the first half of this self-reproach, one would believe he was truly a thoroughly incompetent minister and a treacherous official. But upon reaching the latter half, one could see his profound regret, his awareness of his unforgivable sins, and his acceptance that he did not seek mercy—only resignation and a return to his hometown, in hopes that the emperor's anger would be appeased.
When Wang Zhen dipped his brush in ink to continue writing, Tang Shen spoke with concern, "You're still not finished?"
Wang Zhen paused, looking up. "I have yet to conclude. Are you getting tired, little Junior Brother?"
Tang Shen replied, "Not tired. But, Senior Brother, do you really think this will work? Will His Majesty truly spare you just because of this… deeply sincere self-reproach?"
Wang Zhen smiled. "Of course not. Yu Chaoseng's accusations against me touch upon His Majesty’s fundamental principles for his ministers. Even if I submit this self-reproach, at best, I will receive a lighter punishment."
Tang Shen frowned. "That’s all?"
Wang Zhen nodded solemnly. "That’s all."
Wang Zifeng was exceptionally skilled at reading the emperor's mind. If even he had no confidence, then who could be certain?
Tang Shen felt both anxious and relieved. Since that was the case, the false testimonies he had secretly arranged were not in vain. If it truly came to that, with his connections to Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze, he could step forward and take the blame to help his senior brother escape danger.
As Wang Zhen finished the thick self-reproach and let the ink dry, he turned back to see Tang Shen looking deeply troubled.
Wang Zhen approached him and said, "No need to worry."
Tang Shen thought, How could I not worry? But he merely replied, "Of course, I trust Senior Brother."
Wang Zhen chuckled. "Looking at your expression, could it be you're thinking of sacrificing yourself to save me again?"
Tang Shen was shocked—he hadn’t expected Wang Zhen to see right through him, let alone bring it up so cheerfully.
"You can still laugh about this?" Tang Shen pressed his lips together, saying nothing more.
"You think I cannot sway the emperor’s will, and that I am surely doomed this time. But have you considered—while I may not be able to sway the emperor, there is someone who can? Have you also considered that even if I cannot influence His Majesty, I can still influence others?"
Tang Shen hesitated. "Others?"
Wang Zhen’s gaze sharpened as he smiled, calm and composed. "Compared to me, Yu Xianzhi is truly a good official!"
Kaiping, 36th Year, August 21st.
News arrived from the Northwest—the Emperor of Liao had suddenly passed away, throwing the Liao State into chaos.
Liao had four princes. The eldest and the fourth had long been exiled or imprisoned, stripped of any claim to the throne. The third prince, Yelü Han, was in Shangjing, standing vigil by the emperor’s bedside. With the emperor’s death, he was now the regent.
But the second prince, Yelü Shege, was still in Datong when he heard the devastating news. His eyes burned red with fury, and in a fit of rage, he slashed his sword down, shattering the table before him.
"How dare he?! How dare Yelü Han do this!!!"
Gripping his sword, Yelü Shege stormed out of the military tent, only to be stopped by Yelü Qin.
Yelü Shege was on the verge of tears. They said there was no true kinship among royalty, yet the emperor had always treated him well. Though he had long harbored ambitions for the throne, the moment he heard the news, grief still overwhelmed him. "Yelü Qin daren, my imperial father was unconscious, but his condition had stabilized! How could he have suddenly died? How?! How could Yelü Han dare to commit patricide?! Regicide! I swear, I will kill that bastard myself—he won’t die a peaceful death!"
Yelü Qin shouted, "Your Highness! You must not be rash! Please, calm yourself!"
Yelü Shege’s face was drenched in tears. "That beast!"
"Your Highness!"
After a long silence, Yelü Shege finally stopped, sheathing his sword. His whole body trembled, his face flushed red, but he closed his eyes, letting tears stream down unchecked.
A while later, he opened his eyes again, wiped his face, and regained his usual composure—cold, ruthless, and calculating.
"I...I was too impulsive."
Yelü Qin sighed in relief. "Your Highness, His Majesty's death is irreversible. But we are in Datong. The most urgent matter is returning to Shangjing. Of the ten thousand Black Wolf Army soldiers, six thousand remain. If we return, Yelü Ding could recall them at any time. But, Your Highness, six thousand… is still too many."
Yelü Shege's eyes flashed, his voice turning indifferent. "Indeed. Too many."
Yelü Qin asked, "How many do you think would be appropriate?"
"My imperial father left me thirty thousand Tiger Guards and twenty thousand Golden Armor Troops. The Black Wolf Army is Liao’s elite cavalry, each soldier worth ten ordinary men in battle… One thousand. No more than one thousand."
Outside Youzhou City, Northwestern Camp.
Su Wenyun was furious, his face flushed red. "You just let Yu Chaosheng arrest people? Isn’t Youzhou your territory?! He arrests people, and you just let him?!"
General Li Jingde replied sheepishly, "He targeted the civil officials of the Silver Pull Division. What can I do about that?"
Su Wenyun cursed, "What do you mean, 'what can you do about that?! You idiot! If he sends men to arrest people, you send troops to block them! We’re at war! It doesn’t matter if they’re civil or military officials—this is wartime, and we’re far from the emperor’s watchful eyes! Do you understand?!"
Li Jingde protested, "Hey, why are you yelling at me?!"
Su Wenyun spat, "Because you’re an idiot! Who could have predicted the sudden death of the Liao Emperor? Seizing Jiaozhou’s three territories was easy, but how long we can hold them depends on how well this battle goes! If the Black Wolf Army isn’t wiped out, once Liao stabilizes and their new emperor takes the throne, they can always come back for revenge! Do you want to fight Liao for another ten years and see the borderlands reduced to ruins?!"
Great Song, Shengjing.
Yu Chaosheng had just left the Ministry of Justice’s prison, his robes soaked in sweat from the lingering summer heat. As he entered the hall, a government runner came rushing toward him, face flushed with urgency.
For some reason, seeing the man’s breathless, red-faced panic sent a deep sense of unease through Yu Chaosheng.
The messenger spoke hurriedly, "Minister Yu daren, His Majesty has summoned you to the palace—immediately!"
Yu Chaosheng frowned. "What is the matter? Is there an official decree? Why such sudden urgency?"
The runner replied, "You are not the only one summoned—His Majesty has also called for all the ministers of Qinzheng Hall."
Yu Chaosheng froze. "What has happened?"
The runner took a deep breath. "The Liao Emperor is dead!"