Previously, the Crown Prince was close to Prime Minister Zhang and would sometimes come to consult him on various issues. However, since Zhang Fang orchestrated the death of Dou Changkang, the Crown Prince began to distance himself from Prime Minister Zhang. Those in the court, ever opportunistic, did not openly show their disapproval of Zhang but were considerably less friendly toward him than before. If it weren’t for the deep trust and significance the Emperor placed in Prime Minister Zhang, he would have long since been cast aside.
It is no wonder the Emperor initially chose to place Prime Minister Zhang in this position. After all, Zhang came from a humble background, wholly different from those aristocratic families with deep roots in power. The Emperor could replace Zhang at any time if he so wished. Over the years, Prime Minister Zhang had won the people’s heart and was recognized by the public as a wise statesman. Zhang Fang did not believe the Emperor would not feel threatened by a minister whose reputation overshadowed his own. Zhang Fang remained with Prime Minister Zhang merely to balance the powerful families within the court.
Having killed Dou Changkang, Zhang Fang alienated the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Dou family. Even if he successfully quelled the rebellion and returned to the capital with great merit, the Emperor might reward him, but the Empress and the Dou family would surely retain their resentment toward him. Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne and the Empress became the Empress Dowager, they would find a reason to deal with Zhang Fang.
From Uncle Xing, Zhang Fang learned that the Emperor had issued a summons for King Qi to enter the capital. King Qi had been dragging his feet, likely waiting for his private soldiers to be ready. Even if it were possible to cultivate private soldiers in Meixian, their numbers would surely not exceed three thousand. Such a large number would attract the attention of ordinary citizens. Therefore, King Qi was not only nurturing private soldiers in Meixian but also in other regions! The assassins in Meixian had remained idle, indicating King Qi never intended to mobilize them. If it weren’t for the recent flood, Accountant Yang wouldn’t have withdrawn his men.
Considering all this, Zhang Fang’s expression turned grim. Meixian was King Qi’s lifeline; if King Qi were defeated, Meixian and Jiangzhou would certainly fall into chaos. If King Qi succeeded in rebellion, then Zhang Fang’s hold on Meixian would also be fatal for him!
At this point, the critical question was not whether Zhang Fang could gain merit in quelling the rebellion. Regardless of his actions during this coup, neither the Crown Prince nor the Empress would tolerate him. Should King Qi usurp the throne, he would also dispose of Zhang Fang!
The most pressing concern was that chaos threatened to erupt in the capital, with his father still there! Zhang Fang was extremely anxious, wishing he could sprout wings and immediately rush to the capital to rescue his father, the Prime Minister.
“Master? Master?” Uncle Xing called out several times but received no response. He reached out to touch Zhang Fang.
Zhang Fang turned to look at Uncle Xing; he now had three paths to consider.
The first path was to abandon Meixian, hide all his recent actions as though nothing had happened, and continue as a criminal exiled to the frontier. This coup would have nothing to do with him.
The second path was to maintain control over Meixian, cut off King Qi’s retreat, and earn a small merit in this crackdown on the rebellion. However, both of these paths hinged on whether the court could rein in King Qi.
The third path involved Zhang Fang keeping hold of Meixian while defying the court’s commands—effectively rebelling. However, with his father still in the capital, if Zhang Fang dared to do so, the court would undoubtedly send his father’s head as retribution.
“Master, what exactly is the situation? Can you tell this old servant? Even if I can’t help you, I can relay news back to the capital! Your father cares for you so deeply; he will certainly come to your aid!” This was the first time Uncle Xing had seen Zhang Fang like this. Previously, Zhang Fang was a rebellious and frivolous young man. Now, he seemed mature and steady, a stark change that made Uncle Xing feel unfamiliar, even a bit anxious.
“Uncle Xing, you must be hungry after your long journey. Let me have someone prepare a meal for you, and we can talk after you’ve eaten.” Zhang Fang needed to ponder whether there was another way to resolve the situation.
The more Zhang Fang remained unclear, the more anxious Uncle Xing became. Observing this, Zhang Fang finally conceded, “I’ll tell you after dinner!”
Uncle Xing could only suppress his anxious feelings for the time being and went with Zhang Fang to eat.
Upon seeing the meager meal, Uncle Xing cried again, lamenting, “Poor young master! Is this all there is to eat?”
Zhang Fang looked at Uncle Xing helplessly and explained, “There are difficulties in the city; we must make do with what we have!”
Uncle Xing wiped away his tears, served Zhang Fang a full bowl of food, and then stood to the side.
“Let’s not worry about formalities; sit down and eat together!” Zhang Fang urged Uncle Xing to join him. He divided the contents of his bowl, giving half to Uncle Xing.
Tears welled again in Uncle Xing’s eyes as he choked out, “Your changes are too great; you must have suffered a lot!”
Zhang Fang showed a helpless expression, saying nothing as he absentmindedly continued to eat.
During the meal, a bold idea emerged in Zhang Fang’s mind, one that carried significant risk.
If Meixian could serve as King Qi’s lifeline, why couldn’t it serve as Zhang Fang’s lifeline as well? Zhang Fang currently had Meixian under his control, and the mountain bandits also obeyed his orders. He could have these bandits remain to guard Meixian while he continued pretending to be a criminal exiled to the frontier. If King Qi emerged victorious in the capital, Zhang Fang would simply return Meixian to him and have everyone withdraw. Conversely, if King Qi were to lose, King Qi would certainly not explain his hold on Meixian clearly. The situation in Meixian wouldn’t be revealed, and the Emperor wouldn’t learn of it in the short term.
Zhang Fang suddenly asked Uncle Xing, “Besides the Crown Prince, are there any other princes involved in court affairs?”
Uncle Xing, having shed a lot of tears and feeling discomfort in his eyes, was eating slowly. He instinctively put down his chopsticks to answer Zhang Fang, “Young master, the Second and Third Princes have been attending court discussions since last year. However, their positions in the court cannot compare to that of the Crown Prince. There are hardly any officials in the court who are close to these two princes.”
Zhang Fang squinted his eyes. If he controlled Meixian while possessing a source of wealth and a group of people, he could assist a prince in the struggle for succession! Since the Empress and the Crown Prince would not allow Zhang Fang a place in the future, he might as well consider another heir!
“I haven’t offended either of these princes, have I?” Zhang Fang specifically asked Uncle Xing. Noticing Uncle Xing was still standing, he quickly pulled him back down to sit.
Uncle Xing shook his head, “These two princes have been living in the palace; it was only last year they moved out to build their own residences and began attending court. They have their own duties and are too busy to pay attention to you.”
With that, Zhang Fang felt relieved.
After finishing the meal, Uncle Xing continued to question Zhang Fang. Zhang Fang could only share the current situation with him.
Uncle Xing listened, dumbfounded, and could not speak for a long time, his mouth agape.