The court, after Cui Chengxiu's downfall, appeared calm on the surface, but beneath, undercurrents surged. Wei Zhongxian feigned illness and refused to see anyone, yet the memorials sent from the Palace Eunuch Directorate had subtly changed in nature—urgent reports concerning the precarious border situation and disasters across various regions were often suppressed or delayed, while memorials impeaching Cheng Jiming, Qián Lóngxī, and others for "forming factions and acting in self-interest, disrupting court order," and those "defending Wei Zhongxian" or "requesting merits for him," noticeably increased.
This was a silent demonstration, a tactic of applying pressure by retreating, like a vast spiderweb entangling the young emperor, making every breath feel labored.
Chóngzhēn sat in the West Warm Chamber, his brow furrowed as he looked at the red-marked drought-stricken areas of Shaanxi on the map and a new secret report from Lǐ Ruòlián concerning the collusion between Jin merchants and the Xuanda generals. Military reforms had just begun, and Sūn Chuántíng's "eliminating the weak and retaining the strong" within the Beijing garrisons was facing immense difficulties, with the military noble families grumbling incessantly. He knew that without thoroughly removing Wei Zhongxian, this stumbling block, and gaining absolute power, any reform would be an arduous journey. But that old fox remained secluded, his cronies spread throughout the court and palace; how could he be struck down in one decisive blow?
Pressure weighed on his heart like an invisible boulder. Ultimately, he was just a youth with a soul from a later era. Even though he knew the course of history, truly immersed in this bloodless arena of power, facing a wily opponent, the fear of isolation and the anxiety of powerlessness often gnawed at him. He tried hard to imitate the composure of the emperors and generals he remembered, but the unease and urgency of youth deep in his eyes were difficult to completely conceal.
"Your Majesty, it is late. Please rest," Wáng Chéng'ēn entered with a bowl of warm broth, his heart aching as he looked at the fatigue on Chóngzhēn's face. He had watched the Prince of Xin grow up and now entrusted his entire life and fortune to this young emperor.
Chóngzhēn rubbed his throbbing temples and sighed, "Uncle Wang, what do you think Wei Zhongxian will do next? He's holed up in the palace. Can I really lead troops into the Palace Eunuch Directorate to arrest him?"
Wáng Chéng'ēn gently placed the broth on the imperial desk and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this old servant believes that Eunuch Wei is now like a wounded poisonous snake, coiled in its lair. It seems still, but it is most dangerous. He is waiting, waiting for Your Majesty to make a mistake first, for the court situation to become more turbulent, so he can fish in troubled waters. Cui Chengxiu's case has implicated too many; he is afraid, but also more ruthless. This old servant worries... he might strike at those close to you, to serve as a deterrent..."
Before he finished speaking, a muffled commotion and a short thud suddenly came from outside the warm chamber!
"What is it?!" Chóngzhēn stood up abruptly.
A young eunuch scrambled in, his face deathly pale, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Your... Your Majesty! It's terrible! Eunuch Wang just went out to give instructions about tomorrow's provisions, and... and under the corridor, he was... struck on the back of the head with a blunt object by a shadowy figure and is... is unconscious!"
Boom!
Chóngzhēn felt a buzz in his head, his vision darkened, and he only managed to stand steady by gripping the imperial desk. He could hardly believe his ears! Here, in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, right under his nose, the eunuch closest to him had been attacked?!
"Where is he?! How is Uncle Wang?!" His voice was hoarse, filled with unprecedented shock and fury.
"He... he has been carried to the side hall, and the imperial physicians are treating him... That... that shadowy figure was extremely swift; the guards couldn't catch him. They only... only found this..." The young eunuch tremblingly handed over an ordinary-looking, unmarked blue brick.
An ordinary blue brick, a common attack, occurring deep within the palace walls, directly targeting the emperor's confidant. This was not an assassination; it was the most blatant warning! It was telling him: I can take your life at any time; I can harm the people around you whenever I wish!
A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, followed by boundless rage! Wei Zhongxian! It must have been him! He dared not attack him directly, so he used this despicable method to threaten and intimidate!
Chóngzhēn rushed to the side hall and saw Wáng Chéng'ēn lying on the couch, his face ashen. The back of his head was swathed in thick white bandages, stained with a startling amount of blood, his breathing faint. The imperial physician knelt beside him, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, fortunately... fortunately, the vital spots were not injured. However, Eunuch Wang is advanced in years, and this severe blow may... may require a long period of recuperation, and could leave after-effects such as dizziness and blurred vision..."
Looking at the brows of the unconscious Wáng Chéng'ēn furrowed in pain, Chóngzhēn clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug deeply into his palms, bringing sharp pain, but it was far less than the anger and lingering fear in his heart. If Wáng Chéng'ēn hadn't happened to come out, if the assailant hadn't intended to warn rather than kill... who would be lying here today?
This was not the cold historical record; this was his personal experience of a venomous sting from the darkness! For the first time, he clearly realized that this struggle was one of life and death, with no room for warmth or compromise. Wei Zhongxian was telling him in the most direct way: compromise, or those around you will fall one by one because of you.
Fear, like a cold tide, receded, replaced by a chilling resolve born from being pushed to the brink. He could no longer hesitate, no longer rely on the superiority of foreknowledge to plan slowly. His opponent had bared his fangs; he had to be faster, and fiercer!
He gently tucked the corner of the quilt around Wáng Chéng'ēn, his movements with an unprecedented steadiness.
"Use the best medicine. Ensure Eunuch Wang recovers," he instructed the imperial physician, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
He turned and walked out of the side hall. To Luo Yangxing and Lǐ Ruòlián, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, he issued an order, his voice as cold as ice: "Deploy triple the manpower to guard the Palace of Heavenly Purity, especially where Uncle Wang is recuperating! Investigate thoroughly! Even if you have to turn the Forbidden City upside down, find clues! All eunuchs and guards who have had any unusual contact with the Palace Eunuch Directorate recently are to be secretly apprehended and rigorously interrogated!"
"Your servant obeys!" Luo Yangxing and Lǐ Ruòlián, sensing the chilling aura of the emperor—unbefitting his age—quickly took their orders.
Chóngzhēn walked back to the West Warm Chamber alone. The bowl of broth on the imperial desk was now slightly cool. He looked at the soup, then remembered Wáng Chéng'ēn's usual meticulous care and his earnest advice just now.
Growth sometimes happens in an instant. When the threat is no longer abstract, when the price of loyalty is presented in blood before his eyes, the youth is forced to shed his immaturity and confront the harshness of this world.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his eyes held only the profound calm and decisiveness of a deep pool.
"Summon Lǐ Bānghuá, Sūn Chuántíng, Chéng Jīmìng, and Qián Lóngxī," he announced to the outside. His voice was not loud but carried clearly throughout the hall. "Tell them I have urgent matters to discuss."
The night was still long, but some people would not live to see the dawn.
Wang Cheng'en's attack was like the last straw, crushing the last remnants of hesitation and fantasy in Chóngzhēn's heart. He understood that the decisive battle with Wei Zhongxian could not be delayed any longer. He had to take the initiative, to end it all with the fastest and most ruthless methods. This was not just for power, but for survival, for those who had entrusted their lives to him.
Though the young man's shoulders might still be immature, at this moment, he had resolved to bear the burden of the empire and all the bloody storms that came with it.