Chapter 3: A Spark Ignites

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Xiao Anzi nodded and said, “Your Majesty, I am one of the loyal warriors secretly left behind by your grandfather to protect you, precisely because he feared that one day you might face danger…”
Grandfather?
The very same grandfather who was torn apart by five horses in front of the Empress Dowager herself?
Ning Chen looked at Xiao Anzi suspiciously. “Why should I believe you?”
Xiao Anzi took out a jade pendant and placed it before Ning Chen, adding, “When your grandfather, Lord Zhou, launched the coup, he arranged for us to infiltrate the palace.”
“Lord Zhou said that regardless of whether his coup succeeded, we must never reveal ourselves unless Your Majesty’s life was in danger.”
Ning Chen took the jade pendant and examined it; indeed, it was exactly as he remembered.
He recalled that before the coup, his grandfather had shown him a jade pendant just like this and said similar words.
Yes, this was the greatest inheritance his grandfather had left him!
After confirming Xiao Anzi was truly one of his grandfather’s men, Ning Chen’s excitement surged. “You said ‘we’? How many of you are there?”
Xiao Anzi replied solemnly, “There are twenty-four of us loyal warriors in total.”
Ning Chen was stunned, hardly believing it. After looking at the jade pendant again, he suddenly broke into a grin.
This was an unexpected blessing—at the moment when he needed help most, the mute little eunuch arranged by the Empress Dowager beside him was actually one of his own men.
Moreover, for these twenty-four loyal warriors led by Xiao Anzi to have successfully infiltrated under the Empress Dowager’s nose all these years, their abilities must be extraordinary!
Wasn’t this his best original stock?
Grandfather, you truly were a master strategist…
Seeing Ning Chen lost in thought, Xiao Anzi continued, “Now that the Empress Dowager has openly put forth the matter of deposing the emperor, it means Your Majesty is no longer useful to her. She will surely come down hard on you…”
Ning Chen smiled and interrupted, “So you brought this eunuch’s clothes to disguise me so I can escape the palace?”
Xiao Anzi nodded. “Rest assured, Your Majesty, I have arranged everything…”
Ning Chen suddenly stared at Xiao Anzi with a steady, clear gaze and interrupted again, “Escape? Where would I run to?”
“Listen to me!”
“Ning would rather die than live in cowardice; this dragon throne I will firmly hold!”
At these words, Xiao Anzi trembled all over. He looked at this young emperor, barely nine years old, in disbelief; he could hardly imagine such a child, once timid and weak, could speak so boldly!
Is this really the same cowardly, useless little emperor from before?
Xiao Anzi still worried, “But Your Majesty, if you don’t flee, the Empress Dowager will never let you live. After her birthday, she will still depose you. Then you will have no hope of survival. And judging by your performance in court today, she might strike sooner…”
Ning Chen’s youthful face showed a confident smile. “She’s not that foolish. What she wants is to depose me with legitimate cause; otherwise, she wouldn’t have staged this joint decree to remove the emperor!”
“And I have already promised to abdicate after her birthday. So as long as I don’t threaten her, there’s no reason for her to strike early!”

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“And what we must do is seize the opportunity to turn the tables at the last moment!”
Xiao Anzi’s eyes widened instantly. “Turn the tables at the last moment?”
He looked incredulously at his young master, whose performance in court today seemed like a complete transformation, as if he suddenly came to enlightenment.
But to pull off a last-minute reversal in such dire circumstances—wasn’t that a fool’s dream?
Xiao Anzi explained, “Your Majesty, the entire palace is under the Empress Dowager’s control. The commander of the imperial guards is also her man, plus the chancellor’s power—it's difficult enough just to keep you alive, let alone…”
Ning Chen patted Xiao Anzi’s shoulder with his small hand, his expression resolute. “It’s difficult, yes, but a single spark can start a prairie fire, and you all are my sparks!”
“Although my grandfather only instructed you to help me escape the palace at a critical moment to save my life, believe me, you can do much more!”
Throughout history, eunuchs have been an influential group.
And after my grandfather’s coup failed a year ago, the eunuchs suffered a major purge. Now, only a year later, it is the perfect time for a new wave of eunuchs to grow wildly!
“But… what exactly should we do?” Xiao Anzi was deeply moved but still couldn’t help but ask.
Ning Chen fell into thought. The Empress Dowager’s birthday was just over a month away, leaving only this month for him!
If he wanted to survive, he had to hold onto the dragon throne firmly, which meant he must shake off the Empress Dowager’s control before her birthday!
But how to break free from her control?
Ning Chen touched his chin as if suddenly struck by an idea. “The Empress Dowager hasn’t held court for a whole year. Now that she’s resumed ruling behind the curtain, she immediately moves to depose me. Xiao Anzi, what do you think this means?”
Xiao Anzi said, “I have some idea. The Empress Dowager has been ill this past year and has been recuperating in the palace, so…”
Ning Chen shook his head. “I fear it’s not so simple…”
“For three years, the Empress Dowager has ruled behind the curtain for two years straight, but only in the last year did she move to the palace to recuperate. Now she returns and immediately arranges a plot to depose me…”
“My intuition tells me there’s a huge secret here!”
Xiao Anzi was stunned. “A huge secret? What secret?”
Ning Chen beckoned with his small hand, and Xiao Anzi hurriedly leaned in.
“There are only three things you must do now!”
“First, continue to infiltrate and secretly investigate what the Empress Dowager has been doing this past year. It must be quick!”
“Second, by any means necessary, you must secretly expand and organize into a sizable, structured group. I name you the Eastern Depot!”
“Third…”
At dawn,
In the Golden Luan Hall, Ning Chen sat thoughtfully on the dragon throne after receiving the salutations of the officials.
He knew clearly he had only about a month left. To break free from the Empress Dowager’s control, he needed power of his own, but all he had now were the twenty-four loyal warriors his grandfather left him.

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This was far from enough!
So, he must fight for more support in court.
Yesterday’s court events already proved that although the Empress Dowager and the chancellor controlled much of the court, there were still truly loyal and patriotic people.
He had to win their support through action.
Just after the salutations, a nearly sixty-year-old official hurriedly stepped forward and knelt before the hall.
“Reporting to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, I, Left Censor Fan Dayou, have a memorial to submit!”
Immediately, the court buzzed with murmurs.
Ning Chen raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t this one of the people who pleaded for him yesterday?
At that moment, the Empress Dowager’s calm voice sounded, “Fan Dayou, whom do you accuse?”
Fan Dayou held the memorial in one hand and pointed at the Minister of Revenue, scolding with grief and anger, “I accuse Minister of Revenue Zhao Siwen. He deceived his superiors and concealed the disaster situation, causing delays. The people have been displaced, starving to death everywhere. Now many refugees have flooded into the capital, yet no proper relief has been arranged!”
“Where is Zhao Siwen?” the Empress Dowager asked sternly.
“I am here!” Zhao Siwen stepped forward, bowed, and reported, “Your Majesty, I recently reported on the disaster situation, but because the treasury is empty and the Empress Dowager’s birthday is approaching, there are no extra funds for relief. The chancellor can attest to this.”
The chancellor, Song Guozhong, narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard, and stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I can confirm it. Minister Zhao’s memorial is currently in the Secretariat!”
Ning Chen frowned and involuntarily glanced at Fan Dayou, who knelt there like a statue. He thought inwardly, “Fan Dayou, you’ve probably fallen into their trap. I didn’t expect they’d move against you so quickly…”
As expected!
After the chancellor finished speaking, Zhao Siwen immediately knelt and said, “Your Majesty, Fan Dayou, as Left Censor, accused me without full investigation. Such behavior must be severely punished; otherwise, anyone could slander others at will!”
“If this continues, where would the order and dignity of the great Ning Dynasty be?”
Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress Dowager’s voice sounded again. “Since this is a false accusation, the accuser shall be severely punished. We cannot allow slander to spread. From today, Left Censor Fan Dayou, second rank, is demoted to Inspector, seventh rank!”
From the second rank straight down to the seventh?
Realizing this, Fan Dayou collapsed onto the ground in despair.
“Withdraw at once! Guards, drag him away!” the Empress Dowager commanded.
“Wait!”
Suddenly, Ning Chen stood, glanced at the assembly, then turned to the Empress Dowager behind the curtain.
“Mother, your son has something to say…”