Chapter 16: The Master Arrives
Amidst a volley of angry curses, Fan Dayou cast a deep glance at Ning Chen but ultimately lowered his head and was led away by Pan Yu and others. No one pleaded on his behalf. Even some scholars present who regarded Fan Dayou as their leader felt reluctant, yet they all knew there was no saving him this time.
The fabricated facts he concocted had been personally exposed by the young emperor. Based solely on unfounded suspicions, he had pressured the Empress Dowager during the birthday celebration to retract her intention to depose the former emperor. This was not only disrespectful to the Empress Dowager but also an outright breach of order and discipline!
While lamenting Fan Dayou’s fate, they could not comprehend why the young emperor would betray someone who spoke in his defense. Could he not see that Fan Dayou was trying to help him? Such foolishness was beyond belief! And Fan Dayou himself was blind to reason, stubbornly defending such a useless child.
Even the young Anzi grew somewhat anxious. Although he fully trusted the young emperor’s strategy, Fan Dayou remained the only minister openly supporting him. What if the plan faltered? Fan Dayou might truly be purged, and the young emperor would bear the infamy of ingratitude, having destroyed the leader of the literary world.
He could not help but glance again at the composed Ning Chen, forcing down his nervousness with the thought, “There will be no problem. His Majesty’s foresight is impeccable; nothing will go wrong…”
As expected, just as Pan Yu was about to escort Fan Dayou out of the banquet hall, a hoarse, aged voice suddenly rang out from outside.
“Hold! I have something to say!”
Everyone froze in place. The Empress Dowager furrowed her brow, a flash of shock suddenly crossing her face.
As a figure slowly entered the banquet hall, the previously quiet scene erupted into thunderous astonishment.
“Master Kong?”
“Could it really be Master Kong?”
“How did he come here?”
Such questions and surprise were evident on every face, especially the Empress Dowager’s. Having earlier learned that the young emperor had forced Fan Dayou to summon Master Kong, she was certain he would not come out. Her surveillance of both the young emperor and Fan Dayou had only confirmed this belief. Yet, against all odds, Master Kong had appeared at this very moment.
She couldn’t help but glance back at the still bewildered Ning Chen. Could this weakling child have truly compelled Fan Dayou to bring out Master Kong to celebrate his birthday?
Unbeknownst to the Empress Dowager, young Anzi trembled with excitement, silently exclaiming, “He’s here! Master Kong really has come! He is His Majesty’s final trump card!”
Only he knew that the young emperor’s predictions had once again been correct. Everything unfolding now had almost perfectly matched the young emperor’s prior expectations.
At this moment, only he could deeply feel the young emperor’s profound insight and terrifying strategic mind.
Instinctively, he looked toward the nine-year-old boy emperor, whose expression remained dazed, his gaze becoming faintly misty.
Watching the ethereal figure of Master Kong, the Empress Dowager frowned, a strong intuition warning her that his arrival was ill-omened.
As Master Kong approached the Empress Dowager, all the civil and military officials rose to pay their respects. The Empress Dowager herself respectfully bowed.
“Master, I never expected you to come in person…”
Unexpectedly, Master Kong’s face revealed no emotion; his expression was as calm as a still pond.
“Why, Empress Dowager, do you not wish to see this old man?” he said coldly.
The Empress Dowager was taken aback, awkwardly glancing at the assembly. Though angry at his words, she dared not lose her composure in such a public setting. After all, she was once the “Virtuous Empress” of Great Ning and must honor her teachers.
Before this revered imperial tutor, the literary giant, and the true pillar of the realm, she had no choice but to humble herself.
“Master, you must be mistaken. It is a great honor to see you. We had heard that Fan Dayou failed to summon you. Your sudden appearance truly surprises us.”
“You must be weary from your journey. I will have someone arrange a proper rest for you, and once you are rested, we shall have a proper reunion…”
As she spoke, she signaled her attendants. Master Kong’s untimely arrival could only mean trouble, perhaps directed at Fan Dayou. They needed to silence him quickly and end the birthday banquet before matters spiraled out of control.
Ning Chen watched her performance silently, a cold smile forming in his heart. “Master Kong’s appearance proves he understands my painstaking intentions. My dear mother, how could you possibly fool him so easily?”
Sure enough, before the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Master Kong fixed her with a steady gaze and said, his voice hoarse but resolute:
“Foolish Empress, you are truly foolish!”
“I have come to save you, yet you try to silence me!”
At these words, the once quiet banquet erupted into murmurs of confusion. The ministers looked at Master Kong in bewilderment.
Even the Empress Dowager frowned. “Save me? Master, what do you mean?”
Master Kong’s expression was one of heartbreak and stern reprimand, like an elder lecturing a beloved child with grave sincerity.
“Zhixi, though you are a woman, you are the most talented and intelligent among all my disciples.”
“Now, as Empress Dowager, assisting His Majesty and stabilizing the realm, you prove I did not misjudge you.”
“But you seek to arrest Fan Dayou and insist on deposing the emperor.”
“You are digging your own grave, do you realize that?”
The ministers froze, stunned by this. The Empress Dowager’s mouth opened slightly, her eyes vacant.
Even Fan Dayou was momentarily confused. His Master had earlier described the Empress Dowager as ruthless and ambitious. Why now this sudden change of tone?
Yet no one noticed the quiet observer behind it all—the nine-year-old young emperor Ning Chen—smiling inwardly.
He looked deeply at Master Kong, thinking, “Indeed, age brings wisdom. Master Kong, I never expected you would out-act me…”
The Empress Dowager asked, puzzled, “Digging my own grave? Master, what exactly do you mean?”
Master Kong sighed deeply, his gaze filled with the expectation of a senior toward a junior, and slowly explained:
“Zhixi, I have heard all the conversations at the banquet.”
“Perhaps this young emperor’s filial piety is commendable but his ability lacking; perhaps the idea to use the birthday for disaster relief was not his own, just a lucky coincidence.”
“But have you considered why even the foolish Fan Dayou believes it was the young emperor’s plan and even thinks he might be a future wise ruler?”
The Empress Dowager paused, beginning to ponder.
She did not think the young emperor and Fan Dayou had colluded, since they were under her watchful eyes.
Yet why was Fan Dayou so stubbornly defending this worthless child?
Master Kong continued:
“Because the young emperor was responsible for overseeing the relief efforts and gave all orders to Fan Dayou, naturally Fan Dayou would conclude that the idea came from the young emperor.”
“Though it was a fortunate accident, the result is a brilliant strategy killing three birds with one stone.”
“If Fan Dayou thinks so, then so do the scholars and the common people.”
“They have surely concluded that this ingenious birthday relief plan was the young emperor’s own, and like Fan Dayou, believe he is a future sage ruler.”
“If you arrest Fan Dayou now and persist in deposing the emperor, have you considered how the scholars and the people will judge you?”
“The voices of the masses can melt metal and reduce bones to dust. Are you prepared to go against the will of the people and drown yourself in their curses?”
The ministers stiffened, seriously weighing Master Kong’s words, especially the Empress Dowager.
Given Master Kong's stature and her past as his student, she felt the weight of his warning. Like every student haunted by a teacher’s authority, she found herself genuinely considering his counsel.
Her concerns extended beyond popular opinion to include the ambitions of various vassal princes.
At that moment, she hesitated.
Meanwhile, Ning Chen inwardly admired Master Kong, thinking, “One must read as much as Master Kong to know how to manipulate people so deftly…”
However, just then, the usually silent Prime Minister Song Guozhong narrowed his eyes, respectfully bowed to Master Kong, and said flatly:
“Master Kong, your words seem excessively alarmist.”
“Perhaps many think the young emperor is a future sage like Fan Dayou, but the young emperor himself has just admitted that none of this was his design.”
“This matter only requires an imperial edict explaining the truth to the people. There is no need for the Empress Dowager to fall into the masses’ anger.”
At his words, the ministers seemed to awaken from a dream. The Empress Dowager appeared enlightened as she said:
“Indeed, I need only issue an edict to clarify the matter. Master, you may have been somewhat alarmist…”
The ministers all nodded in agreement with the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister, and the situation quickly shifted.
Ning Chen frowned slightly, thinking, “This Song Guozhong is a cunning old fox, able to turn the tide with a single sentence…”