Chapter 37: Only by Rebelling Can One Survive

"It is critical, the most critical link of all!" The roar of Hou Junji, filled with both fury and helplessness, echoed through the dimly lit, windowless chamber, heavy and oppressive.

Because the Crown Prince had failed to provide a clear answer earlier that day, the Duke of Chen—having retreated to this rat-hole of a secret room to brood—found himself gripped by growing terror. It was the only place left that offered him even a shred of security.

His outburst was prompted by his long hours of agonizing over his dire situation. He had realized that if he were to escape this trap, the Crown Prince’s participation was the absolute linchpin. Yet, recalling the Prince’s reaction today, he felt a sickening dread; in a moment of lost composure, he had roared into the darkness to steel his own resolve.

The path ahead was a dead end. To survive, he had to rebel. But a rebellion required a banner to rally behind, and the crippled Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, was the very banner Hou Junji had chosen.

As for casting the Prince aside and launching a rebellion on his own? Hou Junji did not even dare to entertain the thought. The mere flicker of such an idea brought to mind the twenty-eight founding generals of the Great Tang—the Duke of Lu, the Duke of Hu, the Duke of E, and the legendary God of War, the Duke of Wei—along with their thirty-six regional commanders and hundreds of thousands of troops. They would grind him, a mere Duke of Chen, into dust.

But… if he did not rebel, he was finished. His misdeeds were held by others, ready to be presented to the Emperor at any moment. Furthermore, he had repeatedly incited the Prince, and today, he had effectively cornered him into treason. There was no turning back.

Confess everything to the Emperor and beg for mercy? That was impossible. He had already been pardoned once before. Confession was out of the question; only by rebelling and securing the throne for his candidate could he hope to survive. Previously, he had incited the Prince in hopes of emulating the ancient power broker Huo Guang of the Western Han, but now, that ambition had vanished like smoke. Survival was all that remained.

In the flickering candlelight, Hou Junji’s burly frame sat still, his fingers tapping the tabletop rhythmically, creating a dull, hollow sound. The stifling air of the room felt like the dead silence before a storm.

"The Prince of Wei… he has been making frequent moves lately. Du Chuke has been rallying many to his side…" Hou Junji’s voice was low and raspy, tinged with an imperceptible exhaustion and the frantic madness of a man at the end of his rope. "The evidence that would seal my fate is in the hands of those shadowy figures, and those rabid dogs at the Censorate are still tearing into my past records… There is no time left."

He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked. "The Prince… the Prince is still far too indecisive! I have dropped hint after hint, and today I made it crystal clear that I intend to elevate him to the throne, yet he still clings to some pathetic sense of loyalty to 'Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parent, and Teacher,' hesitating and refusing to commit!"

"Hmph, the blade is already at his throat, and he still clings to such foolish filial piety!"

The more Hou Junji thought about it, the angrier he became, a flash of cruelty crossing his eyes. "It seems I must administer a stronger dose of medicine. I must force his hand…"

His thoughts drifted to the armor that had driven him into this corner. Curiously, he had also hidden a great deal of it in his manor outside the city. His dark, shadowed face twisted into a hideous grin.

Just then, a frantic, irregular pounding erupted against the heavy iron door of the secret room. Hou Junji pricked up his ears, his face instantly draining of all color. This was not the agreed-upon signal! It was a chaotic, panicked hammering.

"Who is it?" Fear washed over him.

"My Lord! My Lord!" A sobbing voice pierced the heavy iron, echoing in the chamber. "It’s a disaster, my Lord! Please, open the door!"

Hou Junji’s heart sank. He recognized the voice as Hou Jiu, his trusted subordinate responsible for relaying urgent messages from the guards stationed on the outskirts of the palace. If it were him, why not use the signal? Had he… betrayed him? A wave of ominous dread seized Hou Junji’s soul.

Yet, after a moment’s hesitation, he engaged the mechanism to open the secret door. If even Hou Jiu had turned on him, there was no point in hiding. He was dead either way, and this room had no other exit.

Fortunately, as the door creaked open, Hou Jiu practically tumbled inside, alone. Hou Junji let out a long breath, his fear replaced by a surge of indignant rage. He immediately kicked Hou Jiu in the face.

"You idiot! Why were you pounding like that? I thought—"

Before his angry words could finish, Hou Jiu, undeterred by the pain, scrambled to his feet and threw himself at Hou Junji’s feet, wailing, "My Lord, the Crown Prince… the Crown Prince has gone mad!"

"An hour ago, he led dozens of East Palace guards to storm the palace! In full armor!"

"What?!" Hou Junji felt as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. He grabbed Hou Jiu by the collar, his calloused hands bulging with veins, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets.

"What did you say?" Lifting the man off the ground, he roared like a wounded beast. "The Prince stormed the palace? How many men did he bring?"

"Do… dozens!" Hou Jiu gasped, struggling to breathe, terror in his eyes. "Only a few dozen from the East Palace guard! I saw no other troops!"

"I… I saw it with my own eyes! It is the truth!"

"He dared to storm the palace with only a few dozen guards?!" Hou Junji looked as if he had heard the most absurd joke on earth. His facial muscles contorted in shock and disbelief. He shoved Hou Jiu aside and stumbled back until he hit the cold stone wall.

"Is the cripple Li Chengqian out of his mind?" Hou Junji bellowed, his voice filled with the rage of a man utterly betrayed. "A few dozen men! A few dozen men to storm the Taiji Hall?!"

"Who does this dead cripple think he is? A heavenly soldier descended from the sky?"

"This isn't storming the palace; this is suicide! This is walking straight into a trap!"

Pacing frantically in the cramped room, he suddenly stopped and slammed his fist into the cold stone wall, fragments of rock and fresh blood falling to the floor.

"Fool! A fool not worth conspiring with!" His frantic roars echoed through the dark chamber.