The Child Emperor
Chapter 268: Locked Outside

Despite his uncle Cui Hong’s opposition, Prince Donghai requested a thousand soldiers and insisted on going to the palace to check the situation. Halfway there, he encountered a group of fugitives who appeared to be martial artists hired by the Tan family.

“What’s happening in the palace?” Prince Donghai shouted.

Someone recognized him and ran over to reply: “It’s a trap, another trap! The palace is full of palace guards, they’re killing everyone – everyone! They’re not even sparing the eunuchs and palace maids…”

Prince Donghai’s face changed color – his mother and wife were both in the palace.

Looking back at the Southern Army soldiers following him, Prince Donghai abandoned the idea of storming the palace to save people. “The Empress entered the palace voluntarily, and mother… mother could have escaped,” Prince Donghai muttered to himself, not forgetting to grant Tan the title of “Empress.”

Prince Donghai returned to the military camp to find Cui Hong. “Shang-guan Sheng has gone mad. The battle outside the city hasn’t been decided yet, and he’s already massacring people in the palace. My mother might… might… Uncle, unless you deploy all the Southern Army troops in the city, everyone in the palace will be killed.”

Cui Hong sat in his chair, surrounded by darkness without any lights, his body hidden in the shadows, motionless and silent like a statue, or like a… Prince Donghai approached cautiously, filled with fear, and met his uncle’s cold gaze, feeling slightly relieved. “Uncle.”

“Shang-guan Sheng is planning to escape.”

“Why?” Prince Donghai was confused, but he knew his uncle’s guess was correct – Shang-guan Sheng’s massacre of palace personnel surely meant he was abandoning the palace.

“Because he’s too young, too inexperienced. When things get slightly chaotic, he loses his nerve, thinking the situation is lost and the earlier he flees, the better.”

“He’s much older than Han Ruzi and me!”

“Heh, no matter his age, he’s still just a brash fool without wisdom. The Shang-guan men are utterly incompetent – even the Empress Dowager’s great abilities can’t help that.”

“Never mind what kind of person Shang-guan Sheng is, what should we do?” Prince Donghai had many ideas, but all required his uncle’s troops, so he had to honestly seek help.

“What to do? Of course, we wait and do nothing. Shang-guan Sheng is now just a desperate outlaw. As he runs, his followers will scatter. The urgent matter is defeating the Weary Marquis, then absorbing Shang-guan Sheng’s remaining forces. If the Northern Army is willing to submit later, that would be best. If not, the Southern Army can hold the Capital alone – we’ll still have a path to victory.”

Prince Donghai thought this was a good plan, but he had to say something to avoid being called unfilial later: “My mother…”

Cui Hong stared at his nephew coldly and said: “Since you’ve already declared yourself Emperor, Grand Consort Cui is now Empress Dowager and the Tan daughter is Empress. What to do is your decision.”

Prince Donghai secretly cursed – the old fox Cui Hong clearly didn’t want to take any responsibility. After thinking for a while, he said seriously: “Shang-guan Sheng has already acted. Charging into the palace now won’t save anyone – it would only cause more casualties. Let’s follow uncle’s plan and hold our position. But no matter what, we must capture Shang-guan Sheng alive later and bring him back to the Capital for public execution!”

“Hmm, you’re the Emperor – it’s your call.” Despite these words, Cui Hong wasn’t treating his nephew as Emperor now. He called in the commanders waiting outside and ordered all troops in the city to stand by and monitor the palace guards’ movements. Once Shang-guan Sheng fled, they would immediately take control of all city gates, then occupy the palace.

Uncle and nephew both saw hope for victory. They were unwilling to think about, let alone verify, whether Grand Consort Cui and Lady Tan had truly been killed.

Shortly after the first group of eunuchs and palace maids fled through the east gate, Cui Xiaojun heard rumors that the palace guards were massacring palace residents. She felt both afraid and glad – afraid she might not escape death, but glad that Shang-guan Sheng’s madness might mean the Weary Marquis was winning outside the city.

She needed to consult with someone.

The Empress Dowager kept Grand Consort Cui and Maiden Wang by her side, so Cui Xiaojun’s only option was the recently arrived Lady Tan.

Lady Tan had entered the palace without permission but was quickly discovered. Instead of being punished, she was sent to Lady Cui’s residence, sharing the same courtyard as Cui Xiaojun.

Those who helped Lady Tan enter the palace weren’t as fortunate – they were captured by the palace guards and immediately beheaded, which was the origin of the massacre rumors.

For many, it was a sleepless night. Cui Xiaojun had barely knocked when the door opened. Lady Tan, who had no maids attending her, stood at the doorway, coldly examining her visitor.

Cui Xiaojun hadn’t brought any servants either. Sensing the other’s resistance, she stepped back and said, “I am the Weary Marquis’s wife, and Prince Donghai is my cousin…”

“I know who you are.”

After a moment of silence, Cui Xiaojun asked, “Have you heard the rumors?”

Lady Tan nodded.

“We can’t stay here waiting to die. We need to find a way to protect ourselves.”

Lady Tan remained silent.

“The palace guards will kill us all,” Cui Xiaojun reminded her.

“You probably think you’ll become empress again, don’t you?” Lady Tan suddenly asked.

Cui Xiaojun was taken aback. If the Weary Marquis regained the throne, she would naturally be empress again, but this wasn’t the time to consider such things. “Shang-guan Sheng doesn’t care who’s empress.”

“You’re right,” Lady Tan seemed to suddenly change her mind. “What do you plan to do?”

“Only the Empress Dowager can protect us…”

“Ha, the Empress Dowager? Isn’t she the one who wants us dead?”

“The Empress Dowager’s hatred is focused solely on… Grand Consort Cui, and she’s the only one who can control Shang-guan Sheng. If we seek her protection, even just hiding under the eaves of her palace, we might survive.”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you go alone? Why come to me?”

Cui Xiaojun couldn’t make up her mind alone and had hoped to hear Lady Tan’s opinion. She hadn’t expected such coldness. “I… I thought you might have a better plan.”

Lady Tan, who was quite tall, stepped across the threshold and leaned down slightly to get a better look at Cui Xiaojun, then said, “I don’t have a better plan. I’ll go with you to seek the Empress Dowager’s protection.”

Cui Xiaojun could only nod. “The Champion Marquis’s son is also here. Let’s take him with us…”

Watching Cui Xiaojun’s retreating figure, Lady Tan was surprised. The Champion Marquis’s son was her nephew and had no connection to the Cui family.

Cui Xiaojun returned carrying the infant, followed by three palace maids who had also heard the rumors and looked terrified.

Seeing the Empress Dowager wouldn’t be easy. Cui Xiaojun, Lady Tan, and the Champion Marquis’s son were all under house arrest. The courtyard keys were held by a female official who could allow “prisoners” to visit each other but couldn’t let anyone leave the yard, let alone see the Empress Dowager.

The female official, around forty years old, had also heard the rumors, but years of palace life had taught her that staying neutral was the best choice. “Unless there’s an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, no one can leave. Unless the Empress Dowager orders it, no one would dare kill anyone in the palace. Unless the Empress Dowager…”

Lady Tan stepped forward, grabbed the official’s right arm, and easily twisted it behind her back. She told the three maids who had followed, “Search her for the keys.”

The official had seen arrogant, fierce, and proud women in the palace, but never someone like Lady Tan who acted so decisively and had such strength. Her wrist was gripped so tightly that she cried out, “Ouch… all palace doors have their keepers… ouch… stealing keys is a capital offense… ouch…”

The three maids, both nervous and excited, looked to Cui Xiaojun rather than Lady Tan for direction.

Cui Xiaojun was also startled but quickly nodded, signaling the maids to follow Lady Tan’s orders.

The five women and the infant left, returning the keys to the official.

“You should come with us,” Cui Xiaojun said kindly.

The official shook her head, “I only listen to the Empress Dowager…” She hurriedly closed and locked the gate, pretending everything was normal while harboring deep fear.

As they walked toward the nearby palace of the Empress Dowager, Cui Xiaojun asked, “You know martial arts?”

“Yes.” Everyone in the Tan family, regardless of gender, learned martial arts. Though Lady Tan’s skills were ordinary, they were more than enough to handle common palace maids or Prince Donghai.

The palace chamber doors were tightly shut. Cui Xiaojun handed the infant to a palace maid and stepped forward to knock.

A voice quickly called out from behind the door: “Who is it?”

“Lady Tan, wife of Prince Donghai, and Lady Cui, wife of the Weary Marquis, request an audience with the Empress Dowager.”

“Did the Empress Dowager summon you?”

“No, we…”

“Who gave you permission to wander the palace?” The voice inside grew stern.

“Please inform the Empress Dowager of our presence.”

“Heh…” The person inside suddenly fell silent, as if forbidden to speak. After a while, a different voice spoke: “Xiaojun, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.” Cui Xiaojun thought she recognized Maiden Wang’s voice but wasn’t certain.

“You cannot enter.”

Cui Xiaojun was startled. “But the palace guards…”

“Find a way to escape. Even here with the Empress Dowager isn’t safe. She plans to move against Grand Consort Cui. She won’t let you live.”

“But… at least take this child. He’s innocent of any wrongdoing.” Cui Xiaojun was on the verge of tears.

“Being born into the royal family is his crime.”

The voice fell silent. Cui Xiaojun’s heart twisted in agony. In her memory, the Weary Marquis’s mother had been gentle and kind. She never imagined being turned away in their most dangerous hour.

“Being born into the Cui clan is your crime,” Lady Tan remarked beside her.

Cui Xiaojun turned to look at Lady Tan, feeling a surge of anger.

“That was the Weary Marquis’s mother, wasn’t she? Truly a far-sighted mother. She’s already considering what happens after her son becomes emperor, solving his problems in advance. The Cui clan first supported the Champion Marquis, now they support Prince Donghai, but refuse to support the Weary Marquis. Once he becomes emperor, he must deal with the Cui clan. Yet his empress would be a Cui daughter – quite troublesome. With your death, all these problems would be solved.”

“No, that’s not true…” Cui Xiaojun refused to accept it.

Lady Tan didn’t argue further.

In the distance, torches appeared along with the sound of weapons and armor clashing. Cui Xiaojun suppressed her grief and said, “Follow me.”

Three palace maids carrying the infant followed, and after standing still for a moment, Lady Tan also followed.

“Where are you going?” Lady Tan asked.

Cui Xiaojun didn’t answer. She was familiar with the palace and moved purposefully in a specific direction. Normally, they would have been stopped long ago, but tonight was different. When they spotted soldiers carrying torches, the group would hide in advance.

Cui Xiaojun knocked on another courtyard gate and said to Lady Tan beside her: “Only this person can save us.”

A trembling voice came from inside: “Who’s there?”

“The Empress Dowager wishes to see Yang Feng,” Cui Xiaojun calmly told this lie.

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