The Gilded Cage

A Visitation (1)

Incense burned quietly in a Buddhist hall west of the Palace of Hundred Blessings, releasing fragrant fumes that lingered in the hall.

The Empress Dowager was dressed in a white mourning attire.
Her eyes were closed, and she was kneeling on the futon.
She held a hand on her chest while her other hand clutched the beads on an agate rosary as she recited scriptures quietly.

She lived through the reign of two Emperors and was now more than sixty years old.
At first glance, she looked like a kindly and dignified old lady who had taken good care of her appearance.
Upon closer inspection, the lines between her brows and the slight drop at the corner of her mouth revealed the stern and authoritative way she carried herself all year round due to her high position in the royal court.

Qimu waited for a long time with a grave and pale expression.
Although he was extremely anxious, he did not dare to disturb the Empress Dowager as she chanted sutras.
As such, he had no choice but to retreat to the main hall and drink tea while waiting.

After he drank three cups of tea, the Empress Dowager finally left the Buddhist hall with the support of a maid and returned to the main hall.

“Your Highness!” Qimu stood up immediately and stepped forward.
He wanted to explain what happened at Taiji Hall a while ago.

“That’s enough.
There’s no need to be anxious.
I have heard everything.” The Empress Dowager shot him a cold glance.
She took a sip of the refreshing tea given by the maid before putting it down.

It was an unbelievably shocking incident, so it was not surprising that someone reported it to her immediately.
It would be more surprising if she didn’t know anything.

“Your Highness, what do you think? How can he just kill someone at the late Emperor’s funeral? What kind of barbarian is he to dare to do something like that?” Although Qimu sounded indignant and reproachful, he was actually shocked and fearful of Xiao Kezhi’s outrageous and barbaric act.

“I have been telling you since early on that it is better to let the Crown Prince take the throne than to bring in an unknown prince.
However, you insisted on listening to others.” The Empress Dowager couldn’t help but scoff coldly at the mention of a past event.

When the late Emperor, Xiao Lan, was severely ill, the Empress Dowager and Qimu discussed the selection of a successor.

She proposed Xiao Yu as the successor.
Despite being their enemy, he was still someone that they knew very well.
Even if he ascended the throne, he would still need to be wary of the Qi family.
Furthermore, Xiao Yu had no son to this day.
When the time comes, she could force him to adopt a clan member as his heir.
After that, no matter if he remained as the Emperor or was replaced, she would still be in control in the background.
However, Qimu was swayed by his subordinate’s suggestion and thought that the best solution was to let the Prince of Qin return to the capital.

“It was all my fault.
I have misjudged his character.” Qimu felt regretful at the mention of the past.
It was only yesterday that he finally found out that his aide had been bribed by Xiao Kezhi since long ago.
He made that suggestion to facilitate Xiao Kezhi’s plan.

“It’s pointless to talk about this now.
He is shrewd, so even if you and I have chosen the Crown Prince, he would still find other ways to return to Chang’an.” The Empress Dowager sighed and felt a sense of loss.
“I have also underestimated him.
He secured the throne with what he did just now.
As for the Crown Prince, let the Prince of Qin decide what to do himself.
You must not interfere.
The Prince of Qin had suffered for so many years and had finally returned to Chang’an.
We should let him be comfortable for a while.”

　　……　　

Qimu knew that he was wrong and did not dare to act on his own this time.
As such, he could only bow and answer in agreement. 

…

That night, Xiao Yu returned to the Palace of Eternal Spring and ordered Zhao Yanzhou to pen a letter in his name.
The letter was to advise the courtiers who had spoken on his behalf to submit a written statement expressing their support for the Prince of Qin to ascend the throne.
The letter also implied that they needed to determine how to act based on the overall situation and expressed his reluctance to cause a war to fight for power.
This would show that the present situation had rendered the Crown Prince helpless.

This way, he could not only protect himself but also temporarily placate the officials who sided with him and prevent them from being divided.

After that, he personally wrote an official epistle.
He wrote that although he was the Crown Prince, he lacked talents and grace, so he was unworthy of the throne.
He also wrote that his uncle was a brave warrior carrying the glory of their ancestors, making him the most suitable candidate for the throne.

　　……

By the time a few copies of the official communication were sent towards the Palace of Divine Dragons, it was already past midnight.