Chapter 675 - 678: The Dead Cannot Be Resurrected

Chapter 675: Chapter 678: The Dead Cannot Be Resurrected

Although Princess Consort Zhen had already shaved her head, the Empress Dowager, to be on the safe side, still ordered her to be confined.

Until the first seven days after the Emperor’s passing were over, Princess Consort Zhen was not to take a single step out of Yufu Palace.

She was still worried about her younger sister’s situation and wanted to visit the Judicial Department, but the Empress Dowager’s order prevented her from leaving. Her only hope was to ask the Crown Prince for help.

But the Crown Prince had been incredibly busy lately.

He had to manage the aftermath of the Emperor’s death and prepare for his own enthronement. He was stretched so thin that he couldn’t even find the time to visit Princess Consort Zhen at Yufu Palace.

As for the little palace maid locked away in the Judicial Department, she had long since slipped his mind.

That is, until an eight-hundred-li express dispatch was delivered to the palace.

The message within was brief and scrawled, clearly written in a great hurry.

"The Regent King has raised an army. The Lingnan garrison commander has defected to the enemy. The rebel army has broken through thirteen cities. Send reinforcements at once!"

After reading the message, the color drained from Crown Prince Li Qiong’s face.

He looked up at the Left and Right Ministers.

The two Prime Ministers had already read the dispatch before it was delivered to the Crown Prince.

Now, both of their faces were etched with worry.

After the warrant was issued for the Regent King’s arrest, they had considered many possible outcomes.

The worst of these was the Regent King raising an army in rebellion.

With his skill on the battlefield, a rebellion led by him would be like a fierce tiger descending a mountain—an unstoppable force.

Now, their greatest fear had become a reality.

The feeling was like being force-fed a large bowl of ice water in the dead of winter; it could freeze a man’s organs solid.

Li Qiong asked, "What are your thoughts, my esteemed ministers?"

At such a critical moment, neither Prime Minister dared to be idle. They both wracked their brains to help devise a plan.

Since the Regent King had rebelled, they would certainly have to send troops to quell the uprising.

The key question was, who should they send?

Li Ji’s fearsome reputation on the battlefield was known throughout the land. It was no exaggeration to call him a War God. Even if all the military generals in the court were combined, they might not be his match.

It seemed that no matter who they chose, no one could stop Li Ji’s advance.

The Left and Right Ministers listed the names of all the military generals in the court, analyzing each one’s strengths and weaknesses.

But in the end, the Crown Prince had to be the one to make the decision.

Li Qiong stared at the paper covered with the names of generals. After a long silence, he finally chose a veteran general to serve as the commander-in-chief for this campaign, along with two others as deputies.

Next, they had to discuss matters such as provisions and troop deployment.

By the time they finished, it was the middle of the night.

Li Qiong dragged his exhausted body back to his residence.

But he couldn’t sleep yet. He summoned Mr. Zhu and said,

"Li Ji has rebelled."

Mr. Zhu’s reaction was calm. "Is that so."

Seeing his lack of surprise, Li Qiong couldn’t help but ask,

"Don’t tell me you already knew about this?"

Mr. Zhu calmly laid out his analysis.

"From the day the warrant was issued for Li Ji’s arrest, I guessed that he would eventually raise an army and rebel. Under those circumstances, rebellion was his only way out. The only question was when he would make his move. The Emperor has just passed away, and you, Crown Prince, have not yet formally ascended the throne. With the throne empty, it is the perfect time to rebel. It is both logical and reasonable for Li Ji to seize this opportunity. There’s nothing surprising about it."

Li Qiong pressed him, "Since you foresaw this, sir, why didn’t you have me prepare in advance?"

Mr. Zhu answered with a question of his own.

"What preparations could you have made? Amassing more troops? Stockpiling more grain?"

Li Qiong had no answer.

Mr. Zhu said, "Forgive my bluntness, but even if you had ten times your current forces, you would still be no match for Li Ji."

His pride wounded, Li Qiong couldn’t help but retort,

"How can you praise him at my expense, sir?! I admit Li Ji is formidable, but I am not that much weaker than him!"

Mr. Zhu watched him quietly.

For some reason, when Li Qiong met his dark, profound gaze, all the anger and indignation in his heart dissipated, and he grew much calmer.

Li Qiong pressed his lips together and said in a low voice,

"Fine. I know I’m not Li Ji’s match."

Mr. Zhu comforted him in a gentle voice, "Some people are born for the battlefield. Li Ji is one of them. You, Crown Prince, have your own strengths. There is no need to compare yourself to him."

Unresigned, Li Qiong asked, "What should we do then? We can’t just let the rebel army march straight in, can we?"

He thought Mr. Zhu would devise a strategy for him as he always did.

But in the next moment, he heard Mr. Zhu say,

"Then let them march straight in."

Li Qiong thought he had misheard and asked in disbelief,

"What did you say?"

Mr. Zhu explained unhurriedly.

"No one in the court is Li Ji’s match. No matter who you send to quell the rebellion, the outcome will be the same: defeat. Not only that, but you will also suffer heavy casualties and waste a great deal of supplies, which offers you nothing but disadvantages. Therefore, I suggest you abandon all resistance. Have someone write a letter directly to Li Ji. Tell him his wife is in our hands. If he wants her to live, he will surrender without a fight. Otherwise, we will take her life! This way, we can achieve victory without losing a single soldier."

Li Qiong asked in astonishment, "But isn’t Li Ji’s official wife long dead?"

Mr. Zhu gave a cryptic smile.

"She was dead, it’s true, but she’s alive again. Right now, she’s being held in a cell in the Judicial Department."

A corner of Li Qiong’s mouth twitched. "This is no time for jokes, sir."

Mr. Zhu replied, "If you don’t believe me, Crown Prince, you can ask your mother."

Seeing his serious expression, which didn’t seem like he was joking, Li Qiong’s resolve began to waver.

’Could what Mr. Zhu said actually be true?’

Though it was already midnight, Li Qiong’s mind was so full of worries that he couldn’t possibly sleep.

He took a carriage to Yufu Palace.

As it happened, Princess Consort Zhen was also suffering from insomnia. She was staring blankly at the moon outside her window when she heard the Crown Prince had arrived. Surprised, she immediately rose and went out.

Watching the Crown Prince draw nearer, she asked curiously,

"It’s so late. Qiong’er, why aren’t you sleeping? What brings you here?"

Li Qiong replied, "But you aren’t asleep either, are you, Mother?"

Princess Consort Zhen said, "So much has happened recently. My mind is in turmoil, and I cannot sleep."

Li Qiong said, "It is the same for me."

The mother and son went inside and sat down.

Li Qiong dismissed the attendants, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Seeing this, Princess Consort Zhen knew he had something important to say and waited quietly.

Li Qiong got straight to the point.

"My aunt... she’s not dead, is she?"

Princess Consort Zhen froze, then immediately countered with a question.

"Why would you ask such a thing?"

Li Qiong stared at her intently. "Just answer me. Yes or no."

Princess Consort Zhen looked back at him.

Mother and son stared at each other for a long time.

Silence stretched between them.

After a long while, Princess Consort Zhen finally spoke, her words coming out slowly.

"The dead cannot be resurrected. Do I really need to teach you something so basic?"