My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 12: The World Will Welcome A New Monarch.

　　The marks on Yun Ling's throat faded gradually after several days.

　　Winter gave way to spring, the icicles on the eaves melting away as new buds sprouted on the branches. By summer, the trees were full of verdant leaves, brimming with life.

　　Autumn arrived, the leaves turning yellow and falling, casting a sense of unease over the Imperial Palace.

　　Yun Ling, as usual, collected the meals from the Imperial Kitchen. Along the way, she noticed everyone in the kitchen was rushing around, looking flustered and stressed. A young eunuch ran in hurriedly, and someone immediately asked, “Well, has the Emperor taken his meal?”

　　The young eunuch shook his head with a troubled expression.

　　Yun Ling didn't linger, taking her food box and leaving.

　　Half a month ago, the Emperor suddenly felt unwell, alarming the entire Imperial Medical Bureau. The diagnosis was typhoid fever, but for some reason, this minor illness had not improved even after all this time. As a result, the Emperor had not attended court for half a month, summoning The National Master daily to divine the stars, only to see signs of being beyond salvation.

　　The Emperor, though aged, had delayed appointing a Crown Prince. This sudden illness had set many eyes in the court ablaze with anticipation. Several ministers had jointly submitted petitions urging the Emperor to establish a Crown Prince swiftly, with the seventh prince's supporters leading the charge. Even Yun Ling felt the atmosphere in the Imperial City growing tense, with everyone on edge, like a city on the brink of war.

　　The Third Prince and the Seventh Prince, it seemed, had already made their own plans, but were merely biding their time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

　　On her way back to Jingxiang Palace, Yun Ling noticed two groups of guards passing by. The palace guards patrolled on a fixed schedule, never deviating. But at this time of day, those two groups shouldn't have been there.

　　……

　　The door to the room was pushed open and then closed again.

　　Xie Jue, seemingly oblivious, didn't pause his swift strokes with the brush. He finished the last stroke, set the brush down, and said without inflection, “What did you hear?”

　　Yun Ling took the evening meal out of the food box and placed it on the table, arranging it neatly. “This servant heard a young eunuch say that the Emperor hasn't taken any food or water today.”

　　Xie Jue rose from his seat and walked to the table, sitting down. Yun Ling helped him arrange the dishes, saying in a puzzled tone, “Just a case of typhoid fever, and the entire Imperial Medical Bureau is mobilized, yet they can't cure it.”

　　There must be something fishy going on.

　　But while the Sixth Prince had spared her life and allowed her to serve him closely, he would never confide such matters to her.

　　It wasn't that he was wary of her, but that he simply looked down on her.

　　She suspected that her role for him was merely to reassure those watching him, and that he genuinely needed someone to attend to his daily needs.

　　Yun Ling could sense that, to some extent, the Sixth Prince held a certain disdain for her, not for her as a person, but for her status as a palace maid.

　　Now, Yun Ling wasn't sure if the gamble she'd taken was the right one. Given the Sixth Prince's cold-blooded and ruthless nature, even if he were to ascend to the Eastern Palace, could she truly expect him to grant her revenge and freedom?

　　She couldn't be sure.

　　But she had no choice. Wang Dade had driven her to the edge.

　　After helping the Sixth Prince settle into bed, Yun Ling, as was her routine, went to the desk to tidy up. As she approached, her pupils suddenly contracted. On the ¹Xuan paper of the desk, written in a flowing script like a swimming dragon, were four words: “²Please Enter the Jar.”

　　Suddenly, a faint glow of fire came from outside the palace walls. Yun Ling put away the writing desk, closed the door, and went to the corner of the wall. She pressed her ear against the wall, holding her breath, and clearly heard the sound of armor, uniform and rapid. The sheer number was far beyond that of the usual Imperial Guards on patrol. This could only mean someone was mobilizing troops in the dead of night.

　　A mutiny!

　　It seems tonight won't be peaceful.

　　As time ticked by, the fire outside the wall grew brighter and brighter, threatening to reach the heavens. Yun Ling's face, hidden behind the wall, seemed to be flushed red from the reflection.

　　The day of her dream, it seemed, had arrived.

　　Turning her head toward the Sixth Prince's chamber, she saw the door tightly shut, not a sound coming from within. Amidst the chaos and bloodshed outside, who would have guessed that the future emperor was peacefully sleeping here?

　　Yun Ling had been longing for this day to come, but now that it was here, instead of a sense of relief, she felt a certain apprehension and a mix of emotions she couldn't quite understand.

　　The path ahead remains uncertain.

　　Perhaps in her dreams she had already foreseen the outcome of the rebellion, which is why she wasn't afraid of the result. Despite the indescribable emotions churning within her, gazing at the night sky, almost stained crimson, she found herself thinking that at least Dongdong was with the Fifth Princess, and should be safe.

　　——

　　Inside the imperial study, The National Master presented a red pill, bowing and saying, “Your Majesty, this is a Revitalizing Pill. Upon ingestion, it will not only instantly cure Your Majesty's chill, but also has the effect of prolonging life.”

　　Eunuch Huang brought the pill to the emperor's side. Emperor Jingning took the pill and swallowed it. After a short while, he felt his strength returning and laughed, “You are truly a capable man, my dear minister. However, that elixir of immortality should be prepared as soon as possible.”

　　The National Master bowed respectfully and said, “Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost.”

　　Emperor Jingning was just nodding in satisfaction when a eunuch suddenly burst in, his face pale with urgency. “Your Majesty, it's not good! ³Ping Wang… Ping Wang has led his troops into the palace!!”

　　Emperor Jingning let out a cold snort. “Power breeds ambition. My son's wolfish ambitions, does he want me to abdicate or die?”

　　Xie Xu barged into the Bai'en Hall with his men, and Emperor Jingning realized with shock that his beloved son had secretly amassed a significant force.

　　With a wave of his hand, the Minister of War, Gao Yan, who had been waiting outside, immediately entered the hall. “Your Majesty, I have already set up a tight net around the palace. As soon as the Third Prince attacks, we will capture him and his men.”

　　Just as the words left his mouth, another eunuch rushed in, his face pale with terror. “Your Majesty, it's not good! The Seventh Prince has led his troops through the Guanghua Gate!”

　　Gao Yan's face fell. “No good! The Seventh Prince has also rebelled!”

　　“A bunch of disloyal, unfilial scoundrels!” Emperor Jingning roared with fury. “Good! Good! They've all rebelled! Then capture them all for me!”

　　“The Seventh Prince broke through our defenses outside the Guanghua Gate and stormed in!” The general who had just arrived reported. “And the Third Prince is coming in full force. I don't know where he got another contingent of troops.”

　　Gao Yan's face was grim. “Your Majesty, if that's the case, the troops I've brought may not be enough to hold them off!”

　　The plan had been to trap them like turtles in a jar. But with the Guanghua Gate breached, it was like tearing open a hole in a net, and the trap was no more.

　　Outside, the clash of steel and the roar of battle filled the air, blood splattering across the sky. It was a chaotic melee, impossible to tell who was fighting for whom.

　　One after another, messengers rushed in, breathlessly reporting: “Your Majesty, the Chengguang Gate has fallen!”

　　“The East Gate has fallen!”

　　“The West Gate has fallen too!”

　　The Third Prince Xie Xu and the Seventh Prince Xie Kang's forces had already reached the gates of the Qianqing Palace. Both sides were fighting with bloodlust, their crimson robes stained with the blood of their fallen comrades. The ground was slick with blood, a macabre testament to the ferocity of the battle.

　　Xie Xu looked at Xie Kang and said, “Seventh Brother, Father has been very kind to you, hasn't he?”

　　Xie Kang replied, “If you seize this place today, how could I possibly survive? I came only to rescue the Emperor. Unlike you, Third Brother, this is rebellion! A grave crime against the dynasty!”

　　Xie Xu laughed heartily. “If Father hadn't forced me to do this, I wouldn't be here. Sometimes I wonder which of his sons Father truly favors, or if he merely distrusts us all. Oh well, the victor writes history. There's no point in saying more.”

　　On that day, when he was framed by the Empress, his father had already begun to consider stripping him of his military power. He even secretly tried to undermine him on several occasions. Under these circumstances, Xie Kang's popularity in the court and among the people grew, especially with the Empress's scheming. How could he possibly ascend the throne if he didn't fight back? He would never allow that useless Xie Kang to inherit the Emperor's seat.

　　……

　　Faced with such a dire situation, Emperor Jingning was flustered. He turned to Gao Yan and asked, “My esteemed minister, Gao Yan, what are we to do now?”

　　Gao Yan pondered for a moment. “The Seventh Prince is clearly no match for Ping Wang. Ping Wang will attack soon. For now, our only recourse is to summon reinforcements.”

　　“Who can come to our rescue now?”

　　Gao Yan bowed. “Only the Duke of Chen's Mansion is closest to the Imperial Palace, but... the Sixth Prince is currently imprisoned in Jingxiang Palace. The Duke of Chen might not be willing to come!”

　　Emperor Jingning hesitated.

　　The National Master suddenly whispered in Emperor Jingning's ear, “The Sixth Prince is at death's door. Even if released, he wouldn't live long. Besides, the military power is all in the hands of Minister Gao!”

　　Hearing this, Emperor Jingning's eyes flickered. He made up his mind and picked up his brush to write an edict releasing Xie Jue, ordering him to come to the rescue. The imperial decree was quickly written and sent out by a guard from the southwest corner.

　　——

　　Yun Ling couldn't sleep a wink that night. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard a large group of footsteps approaching outside the door.

　　She scrambled out of bed and rushed outside. Two eunuchs and a general were already standing outside the Sixth Prince's chamber. “Your Highness, something has happened in the Qianqing Palace. We implore you to come to the Emperor's aid.”

　　They waited for a while. The door opened from the inside, and Xie Jue, clad in a moon-white nightshirt, stepped out. He looked at the visitors, his long, narrow phoenix eyes meeting Eunuch Liu's. “Eunuch Liu.”

　　The night wind was cold, laced with a heavy scent of blood. Even the moonlight seemed shrouded in a dark veil.

　　Xie Jue stood tall and elegant, leaning against the doorframe. The two eunuchs were so anxious they were like ants on a hot pan. “Your Highness, what are you waiting for? Please send a message to the Duke of Chen and have him dispatch troops to support the Emperor!”

　　At this moment, a palace maid in a pink dress stepped forward from behind Xie Jue, looking troubled. “But Eunuch Liu, our Highness, is currently confined here, unable to go anywhere. How can we send a message?”

　　Eunuch Liu slapped his forehead and hurriedly pulled out the imperial edict. “The Emperor has lifted your confinement, Your Highness. He is waiting for you to come to his aid!”

　　The deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, Xiong Ying, walked over at that moment and whispered something in Xie Jue's ear.

　　The two eunuchs hadn't heard what was said. They were completely bewildered, but they couldn't afford to dwell on it, and continued to urge him on.

　　At that moment, Xiong Ying pulled a signal arrow from his waist and fired it into the sky. In reality, Chen Zhan, the heir of the Duke of Chen had already assembled his troops outside the palace, waiting for Xie Jue's command.

　　The two eunuchs standing beside him stared wide-eyed. “This…”

　　This... this was clearly all planned in advance!

　　Xie Jue put on his armor and opened the door. Outside, to his surprise, several squads of elite soldiers were standing in perfect formation, ready for battle.

　　To save the Emperor and defend the throne, he naturally had to be present.

　　As for Chen Zhan's side, that was to surround and deal with Xie Xu.

　　Yun Ling knew that the real palace coup had begun.

　　After tonight, the land of the Great Jin would welcome a new Emperor.

　　The price would be a royal palace littered with corpses, its streets flowing with blood.

　　As if heaven itself was weeping for this earth-shattering slaughter, a soft, drizzling rain began to fall.

　　Yun Ling remembered the day from her dream. It seemed to be just like this, with the rain pouring down, washing away the crimson blood on the ground.

　　The sudden downpour caused Xie Jue to fix his gaze on the direction where the flames were moving. He called for Xiong Ying, took out a jade pendant and handed it to him. “Take this and go to meet Chen Zhan. Lead the army from the Chengguang Gate towards the Wanshou Pavilion, break through from the left. There, you'll encounter an unexpected surprise.”

　　“Yes, I understand,” Xiong Ying took the jade pendant but hesitated. “But right now, Young Master Chen has probably already entered the palace. It will take at least an incense stick's worth of time to get there from here. What if I'm too late?”

　　In the quiet, a soft, gentle voice suddenly cut through, “This servant knows a shortcut, I can lead the general there!”

　　Xie Jue turned his head and looked at Yun Ling.

　　Yun Ling quickly replied, “There's a waterway by the lotus pond on the west side. I found it when I was retrieving my master's body. If we take that route, we can reach there in half the time.”

　　“You lead Xiong Ying there,” Xie Jue made the decision instantly and turned back. “You must know that blades and arrows have no eyes. No one can protect you.”

　　“This servant understands.”

________________

Glossary:

¹Xuan paper 宣纸 (Xuān zhǐ): Also known as Xuan rice paper, it’s a traditional Chinese paper prized for calligraphy and painting. It’s mainly made from the bark of the blue sandalwood tree (青檀, Pteroceltis tatarinowii) mixed with rice straw and other fibers. Known for being highly absorbent, durable, and resistant to aging, it allows ink to spread smoothly without bleeding. Xuan paper comes in different textures (smooth, rough, semi-raw), each giving unique artistic effects. It’s considered a cultural heritage material of China.

²‘Please Enter the Jar’ (请君入瓮, qǐng jūn rù wēng): A Chinese idiom meaning to lure someone into their own trap or trick them into danger. The phrase comes from the Tang dynasty story of Zhou Xing, who was forced to suffer the very torture he devised. It’s often used metaphorically for outsmarting someone with their own scheme.

³‘Ping Wang’ (平王): Literally translates to Prince Ping. It’s a title (for the Third Prince in this case), not a personal name.

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