Chapter 33: The Road Is Long and Difficult
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Seeing the Empress Dowager analyze the situation in such a way, the nanny suddenly understood. “Could it be the little emperor?”
“No, that’s impossible…”
The old nanny immediately shook her head like a rattle. “It is true that the little emperor would benefit the most from the decree never to depose him. But how do you explain the several assassination attempts against him?”
The Empress Dowager frowned. “What if all those assassination attempts were merely staged?”
The old nanny froze. “Your Highness, are you saying that all of this was a scheme devised by the little emperor?”
The Empress Dowager nodded, her expression turning exceedingly grim. “Ever since that little wretch Ning Chen used suicide in court to force me to delay his deposition, I have felt that he was somehow different from before.”
“Now that all these events are connected, the more I think about them, the more terrifying they become.”
“First, he arranged matters so that I had no choice but to delay deposing him. Then he forced me to publicly declare that he would never be deposed.”
“And now he has begun targeting my trusted aides. Think about it carefully. Does this not seem like one continuous conspiracy?”
The old nanny drew in a sharp breath. “If that is truly the case, then the reason Pan Yu was targeted becomes clear. No wonder Fan Dayou was involved every time…”
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. “If this is really the truth, is he still the little emperor we know?”
At those words, a powerful killing intent surged into the Empress Dowager’s eyes. “If it truly is him, then I will have no choice but to…”
As she spoke, the old nanny suddenly began to ponder. “But I still feel that it cannot be him!”
“He is only a nine-year-old child. Even if he truly became enlightened, it would be impossible for him to transform into something resembling a divine being overnight!”
“Such a meticulous plan—especially arranging for someone to assassinate himself—how could a child possibly accomplish it?”
“Besides, whom could he have ordered to carry it out?”
“Little Anzi has been watching him almost every moment. Everything he does is under Your Highness’s control. How could he have managed any of this?”
“And furthermore, if he had truly become so capable in an instant, possessing the ability to devise such an intricate chain of schemes, then he should have foreseen that poisoned bowl. How could he possibly have drunk it?”
The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment and immediately fell into deep thought.
A long time passed—truly, a very long time.
Then, as though suddenly relieved of a tremendous burden, she slowly exhaled. “That is true. If he were truly so capable, he could never have drunk that poison!”
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager shook her head as well and gave a bitter laugh. “It seems I was simply overthinking things!”
“What is wrong with me?”
“How could I suspect a little wretch who has already swallowed poison and has remained under my very nose all this time?”
At this, the Empress Dowager let out a deep sigh.
She could not help feeling that the thought she had just entertained was indeed absurd and laughable. She was even angered into laughing at herself.
That was right. If Ning Chen had truly become so formidable, how could he have turned on Fan Dayou and demanded that he be severely punished after his usefulness had ended?
How could he have left the palace under the ridiculous pretext of conducting business merely to eat, drink, and amuse himself, even going so far as to visit a brothel at night?
He had even revealed his identity in the brothel and tied up the brother-in-law of Marquis Ning’an!
How could such absurd acts possibly have been committed by someone capable of carefully plotting such an elaborate conspiracy?
At the thought of this, Ning Chen’s pair of perpetually innocent and bewildered eyes once again appeared in her mind.
After letting out a cold laugh, she suddenly said with renewed certainty, “Even if it is not that little wretch Ning Chen, there must be someone behind all these events!”
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“Who could it be?”
“Other than that little wretch, who would benefit the most from bringing me down?”
“Is this person hiding somewhere in the imperial court, or in the fief of one of the vassal princes…”
The Empress Dowager thought for a long time, but could not find an answer. When a faint headache began to emerge, she finally said, “It does not matter. The mastermind will reveal himself sooner or later!”
“The most important matter now is deciding who will replace Pan Yu as commander of the Imperial Guards!”
“The Imperial Guards must remain firmly in my hands!”
The old nanny said, “At present, the only suitable candidates are Cao Dahai, the Left Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, and Yang Fei, the Right Deputy Commander.”
The Empress Dowager nodded casually. “Which one do you think is more suitable?”
The old nanny considered the matter seriously for a moment before replying, “Cao Dahai was recommended to Your Highness by Pan Yu, and only then did he attain his current position. He is deeply loyal to you. He is an intelligent man, and after what happened to Pan Yu, he should understand even more clearly who his true master is.”
“As for Yang Fei, he was promoted by Your Highness personally. He is also a veteran of the Imperial Guards. He fought and struggled his way upward, relying on his achievements to reach the position of Right Deputy Commander. He is a soldier who places military orders above all else!”
At this point, the old nanny secretly observed the Empress Dowager and cautiously continued, “This old servant cannot say for certain which of them is more suitable. But whoever becomes commander of the Imperial Guards, they will remain firmly under Your Highness’s control…”
The Empress Dowager smiled and rolled her eyes at the old nanny. “You old fox!”
The old nanny smiled and respectfully bowed to her.
The Empress Dowager, however, turned serious once more. “Each has his own strengths!”
“There is no need to question either man’s loyalty. Cao Dahai is quick-witted and skilled at discerning the thoughts of those above him. That is why Pan Yu valued him and repeatedly spoke on his behalf before me. He would indeed be very easy to employ, and if used well, he could serve a great purpose. The only concern is that he might one day become just like that bastard Pan Yu!”
“As for Yang Fei, he is rigid and methodical in everything he does. Although there is little need to fear that he will become like Pan Yu, I worry that he may lack flexibility and fail to handle matters properly…”
According to regulations, the appointment and dismissal of the Imperial Guard commander had to be discussed and approved collectively by the officials of the imperial court. In practice, however, the system had long since become a mere formality. For the Empress Dowager, it was nothing more than a procedure to be gone through.
Thus, the only matter she needed to consider now was how to choose between Cao Dahai and Yang Fei.
But as the old nanny had said, regardless of whom she selected, neither man’s loyalty was a concern. The Imperial Guards would still remain firmly in her hands…
Elsewhere.
Ning Chen had finally received word that Little Anzi had returned. He immediately asked anxiously, “Well?”
Little Anzi sighed and said guiltily, “Too late. Pan Yu has already… already killed himself…”
At this, Ning Chen frowned and parted his lips as though he wished to say something, but in the end he remained silent.
Although he displayed no emotion on his face, Little Anzi clearly sensed Ning Chen’s disappointment.
Little Anzi immediately fell to his knees in self-reproach. “I am sorry, Your Majesty. This servant is useless!”
“I still have not found the antidote, and now I arrived too late once again…”
Ning Chen reached out with his small hand and helped Little Anzi to his feet. He revealed the innocent smile befitting a child and said, “You have already done very well!”
“I was the one who failed to account for this possibility!”
“The outcome is regrettable, but at least Pan Yu’s death has confirmed my earlier suspicions.”
“There is certainly some enormous secret hidden within the Empress Dowager!”
With that, Ning Chen turned toward the solitary moon outside the window and let out a long sigh.
“The road is difficult and long…”
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Seeing this, Little Anzi was stunned for a moment. He knew that although his little master, who possessed wisdom nearly equal to that of a celestial being, was comforting him on the surface, he must be deeply disappointed inside.
He said nothing. He merely stood quietly behind the little emperor, gazing deeply at that small figure which, despite being only nine years old, seemed to bear the weight of a lifetime of vicissitudes.
Indeed.
How could Ning Chen not be disappointed?
Even now, he had painstakingly planned every step, treading as if on thin ice almost every day.
Although his plans had proceeded smoothly so far, the poison remained unresolved, and he had yet to escape the Empress Dowager’s control. He did not even know whether he would survive until the day he could completely turn the tables.
He had originally hoped to learn the Empress Dowager’s secret from Pan Yu. But in the end, he had overlooked one possibility and allowed the Empress Dowager to kill Pan Yu and silence him first…
Yet he would not lose heart because of this.
He believed that although the road was difficult and long, progress would eventually lead to the destination. So long as one continued without stopping, the future remained full of promise.
A meal had to be eaten one mouthful at a time, and matters had to be handled one step at a time.
Even if Pan Yu was dead, even if he could not pry the Empress Dowager’s secret from him, and even if he could not hasten her downfall, as long as he proceeded steadily, step by step, he would surely be able to turn the situation around at the most desperate moment!
After composing himself, he turned back and looked at Little Anzi with an air of ease.
“Go and inform Cousin of Pan Yu’s death. I believe she will be delighted.”
“And tell her that Pan Yu’s death is only the beginning. I will surely eliminate every accomplice responsible for the deaths of Grandfather’s entire family, until the Empress Dowager is overthrown and Grandfather’s family is avenged!”
After issuing his order, Ning Chen turned once more toward the solitary moon outside the window. But his gaze had become utterly resolute.
Once the bowstring is drawn, there is no turning back. The plan could not stop now.
Next, he would follow the arrangement he had made with Master Kong and put the man recommended by the old teacher in the position of Imperial Guard commander.
Everything he had plotted during this period had been for this very purpose.
He trusted the old teacher, and naturally trusted the man recommended by him as well. Once that man became commander of the Imperial Guards, it would be equivalent to placing the Imperial Guards in Ning Chen’s own hands.
This step was of the utmost importance.
At the thought of this, Ning Chen slowly took two small wooden tablets from within his robes.
The words written upon them were unmistakable:
Cao Dahai, Left Deputy Commander!
Yang Fei, Right Deputy Commander!
He slowly approached the candle flame and held one of the wooden tablets over it.
As he watched the tablet gradually burn to ashes, his gaze grew ever more resolute…
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