Chapter Nine: The False Emperor

After everything had been properly arranged, Zhu Yu strolled leisurely, wanting to take a good look at the small building where he was being held. But before he had finished exploring, he saw the woman in a wheelchair—the one who had kidnapped him—gazing out from beside the railing.

By now, thanks to Zhuge Zhengwo’s introduction, Zhu Yu knew that this woman was Wuqing. He also recalled the events from this part of the story, which made him inwardly mock himself for being wise only after the fact.

Since they had already met, Zhu Yu decided to approach and strike up a conversation. Given Wuqing’s skill, she had certainly noticed him already and merely chose to ignore him. If he simply walked away, pretending not to see her, it would look as though he felt guilty.

As he drew near, Zhu Yu had not yet decided on a topic to start with, so he simply asked the question that genuinely puzzled him: “You’ve held me captive for quite some time now. Why haven’t you sought your revenge?”

“If you had begged me to release you earlier, you would already be dead. But you didn’t. Isn’t an emperor supposed to cherish his own life?” Wuqing continued to gaze outside, never turning to look at Zhu Yu, and made no effort to show respect.

“Of course I value my life. But one must always make a basic judgment—if death is certain, why not try to die with some dignity?” Zhu Yu answered with a smile.

Wuqing gave a silent laugh, then said, “Now it’s your turn to judge me. It’s a pity, though—my whole family consists of just me. There’s no way to execute my entire clan.”

“Who said I intend to punish you?” Zhu Yu found her words amusing.

“Not going to punish me? You’d better give it some serious thought. Perhaps one day I’ll change my mind and simply kill you.” With that, Wuqing turned her wheelchair and rolled away, leaving Zhu Yu where he stood.

...

The next day, on the journey to Wusheng Pass to mobilize troops, the road was unusually peaceful. For reasons unknown, the ambush that had taken place in the original story never materialized, and the journey was remarkably smooth.

This puzzled Chancellor Cai as well. In the capital, at the An residence—

Chancellor Cai asked An Yunshan, “Master An, we’ve already learned that the emperor has gone to Wusheng Pass to muster troops. Why not intercept and kill him on the way? That would settle the matter once and for all!”

An Yunshan cast a scornful glance at Chancellor Cai and replied, “How did you ever become Chancellor? Have you put all your efforts into lining your own pockets?”

He paused, then continued, “If the emperor were the only member of the royal family, would I need your advice? But now, Zhu Wushi of Dragon Guard Manor is just waiting for me to strike down the young emperor. That wily old fox won’t be easily dealt with!”

Chancellor Cai still didn’t fully understand. He pressed further: “Isn’t what we’re about to do no different from killing the emperor? In the end, we’ll still have to deal with Zhu Wushi.”

“That’s not the same at all. You think I’m plotting to usurp the throne, don’t you?” At this, An Yunshan’s smile turned inscrutable.

“Isn’t that so? Please enlighten me, Master An!” Privately, Chancellor Cai cursed the old fox—if you’re not planning to seize the throne, who are you trying to fool?

“Of course I want the young emperor to abdicate in my favor—voluntarily! If the emperor abdicates, what could that royal kin Zhu Wushi possibly do to me?” An Yunshan declared.

Chancellor Cai was left staring blankly at him, thinking, It’s over! Just when success is within reach, the man’s gone mad! I need to find a way out for myself. Who? Zhu Wushi seems like a good option.

An Yunshan seemed to sense Chancellor Cai’s scheming but said nothing, merely clapping his hands softly.

Then something utterly unexpected happened—at that moment, the emperor entered the room openly, as if nothing were amiss!

Chancellor Cai was so shocked he stammered, pointing a trembling finger at the emperor. “Y-You… Aren’t you supposed to be on the road to Wusheng Pass? Why are you here? Master An, seize the emperor—quickly!”

“Hahaha.”

Seeing Chancellor Cai’s miserable state, both the emperor and An Yunshan burst out laughing.

Hearing that laugh, Chancellor Cai suddenly realized something—the voice coming from the emperor’s mouth was that of a woman! It sent chills down his spine. But on second thought, he joined in the laughter with the other two.

...

After arriving at Wusheng Pass, Zhu Yu met with General Di, the commanding officer there, explained the situation in the capital, and requested that he lead his troops back to suppress the rebels.

General Di readily accepted the order and immediately began preparations. From that day, he and Zhu Yu set out for the capital with their army.

A few days later, with the help of Dragon Guard Manor and the Number One Manor, the entire army from Wusheng Pass managed to enter the capital in secret, without alerting anyone.

Such prowess truly left Zhu Yu in awe.

...

But now, the top priority was the rebellion led by An Yunshan; all else could wait.

On Zhu Yu’s orders, everyone remained in hiding, waiting for An Yunshan’s next move, hoping for a swift and decisive victory.

Their patience was soon rewarded. Ji Yaohua, the head of the Six Gates, brought word that An Yunshan planned to conduct an abdication ceremony that very night in the Hall of Supreme Harmony with a false emperor, and had already notified all the court officials.

A false emperor? Plastic surgery, perhaps?

Zhu Yu puzzled over this for a while but couldn’t figure it out and eventually stopped trying.

He then gathered everyone to lay out the plan, admonishing them again and again: they must wait until An Yunshan killed Chancellor Cai before taking action.

Puzzled, the others asked why Zhu Yu believed An Yunshan would kill Chancellor Cai. According to their information, Chancellor Cai had always been An Yunshan’s man.

Zhu Yu thought to himself, Should I tell them that I’ve seen this movie and remember how it ends?

Feigning deep wisdom, Zhu Yu declared, “Because killing Chancellor Cai is the best way to establish authority, virtue, and benefit both officials and the people. With Chancellor Cai dead, the world will rejoice!”

...

Dusk fell over the capital. In the Hall of Supreme Harmony within the palace—

Though he was recalling the plot, everything unfolded exactly as Zhu Yu had anticipated.

First, An Yunshan brought the false emperor to court. The impostor, in tears, begged to abdicate in favor of An Yunshan, as if his very life depended on it. The assembled officials knelt in protest, pleading for him to reconsider.

Chancellor Cai appeared just in time, cursing the kneeling officials and even striking a few—astonishingly, none dared resist him.

Once silence had fallen, An Yunshan smoothly accepted the throne from the false emperor. Then, before all the officials, he denounced Chancellor Cai’s many crimes. While Chancellor Cai looked on in disbelief, An Yunshan personally killed him in front of everyone, and then, without missing a beat, launched into a passionate declaration of his achievements and his intentions to benefit the people—only to be abruptly interrupted.

As the officials stared at the corpse of Chancellor Cai sprawled on the floor, Zhu Yu signaled to those behind him that it was time.

In an instant, Zhu Wushi led the men of Dragon Guard Manor, Zhuge Zhengwo brought the Four Great Constables, and General Di led the Wusheng Pass troops, completely surrounding everyone in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.