[History of the Sui Dynasty Palace] [23]

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Chapter Twenty-Three: Unifying the Southern Dynasty, Capturing the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Confusing Black and White, Seizing the Throne in the Deep Palace. It is said that Yang Su's navy reached Liutou Beach, and a short distance further was the treacherous Langwei Beach. General Qi Ting of the Chen court guarded it with warships. Yang Su, under cover of night, lowered his flags and silenced his drums, using light oars and poles to suddenly charge into the Chen fleet. The Chen army, without a fight, panicked and fled the beach. Yang Su sailed downstream, and the garrisons along the river fell one after another. The natural barrier of the Yangtze River, which the Chen court relied on, had now fallen into the hands of the Sui army. Then, Sui general Han Qinhu crossed the river at Caishi. Caishi was a strategically important and easily defended area. However, because the generals guarding Caishi were all drunk after the New Year, there was no one to defend it, and Han Qinhu captured Caishi under cover of night. Without any effort, he took advantage of the situation to capture Gushu and attacked from the south. At this time, He Ruobi, the governor of Wuzhou, also captured Jingkou and attacked from the north. Jin Wang Guang then dispatched General Du Yan with troops to assist Han Qinhu in advancing into Xinlin. Chen Tingfang was greatly alarmed, and Shi Wenqing and others only then reported this to Shubao. Shubao was extremely flustered and dispatched troops to fight the enemy separately. The morale of the army had already collapsed, and they fled at the first sign of trouble. Chen general Ren Zhong surrendered to Han Qinhu and led him through Shizigang to Zhuque Gate. The guards of the palace were completely scattered. Han Qinhu led his troops into the palace and searched for Shubao. Later, they pulled him out of Jingyang Well by a rope, and captured three people. The other two, Kong Bao'er and Zhang Lihua, were imprisoned in the Dejiao Hall. At this time, He Ruobi also arrived at Leyou Garden in victory and stormed into the palace. Hearing that Shubao had been captured by Han Qinhu and that he had lost the first merit, he was very unhappy. He rushed to the Dejiao Hall and forced Shubao to write a letter of surrender to him so that he could return and report his victory. Just as Shu Bao was about to write, Prince Guang of Jin ordered his chief secretary, Gao Gang, to enter Jiankang to handle the aftermath and arrest Shu Bao and his entourage. Jiong's son, Dehong, also arrived shortly after, following Prince Guang's orders. Dehong ordered Jiong to detain Zhang Lihua, but Jiong angrily declared, "In the past, Taigong covered his face to behead Daji. This kind of vixen, a scourge to the Chen dynasty, should not be allowed to live any longer!" He immediately ordered her dragged out and executed. At this time, Prince Guang of Jin also entered Jiankang.
Upon hearing that Gao Jiong had killed Zhang Lihua, he angrily said, "The ancients said, 'No one is without virtue.
' I will surely repay Gao Gong!" From then on, he harbored a deep resentment towards Gao Jiong but never spoke of it.
Prince Guang entered the city and met with Gao Jiong, remaining outwardly calm and composed. He then comforted the soldiers and pacified the people. He arrested Shi Wenqing, Shen Keqing, Ji Huijing, and Xu Zhe, the five who had harmed the people and concealed their true intentions, and beheaded them as a warning. On one hand, he seized maps and books, and sealed the treasury. He confiscated all gold, silk, and precious objects, using this as a means to gain fame and win over the people.
Sure enough, the soldiers and civilians all praised the Prince of Jin's virtue, unaware that they had fallen into his trap. At this time, Chen's naval commander Zhou Luo (Rihou), and the governor of Yingzhou, Gou Fa, were still holding Jiangxia, causing Prince Qin Jun to lead thirty-six generals and over ten thousand soldiers by land and water to be stationed at Hankou, unable to advance. Only Chen Huiji, the governor of Jingzhou, sent his minister Lü Zhongsu to advance and defend Wuxia, carving out rocks and chains to block the upstream, thus hindering the Sui army. Yang Su led troops to fight against Zhongsu, repelling Zhongsu's troops and launching an attack. Thus, everything east of Baling fell to Sui. However, Chen's Prince of Jin, Shuwen, and the governor of Bazhou, Bi Bao, and others surrendered to Prince Qin. Chen Huiji and Zhou Luo's generals all surrendered to Sui. King Qin then conquered Xiangzhou and pacified Lingnan, thus bringing all of Chen territory under Sui rule. He gained thirty prefectures, one hundred commanderies, and four hundred counties, and the Chen kingdom was destroyed. King Guang of Jin, along with Gao Jiong and Wang Shao, completed all the post-war arrangements and returned to the capital in triumph.
All of Chen Shubao, his consorts, children, ministers, and officials were brought back with them, traveling by land and water in a grand procession. Along the way, they sang praises of King Guang's wisdom. Upon reaching Mount Li, Emperor Jian of Sui personally came to comfort them. Father, son, ruler, and ministers met, and there was boundless joy in their reunion. The army then entered Chang'an and presented the captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The first to be presented was the dissolute and disgraced Chen Shubao. Following him were princes, generals, ministers, imperial carriages, clothing, astronomical records, and other documents. King
Guang of Jin and King Jun of Qin presented the documents according to protocol, and after the ceremony, they entered the court. Emperor Jian of Sui appointed Prince Guang of Jin as Grand Commandant, enfeoffed Yang Su as Duke of Yue, He Ruobi as Duke of Song, Han Qinhu as Grand Pillar of State, and Gao Jiong as Prince of Qi. Others also received titles and rewards, which will not be mentioned here.
Chen Shubao remained in the Sui capital, where the Sui emperor treated him well, frequently granting him audiences and providing him with food and clothing.
However, all the palace women and sisters were taken into the Sui court. Shubao had three older sisters and one younger sister; the Sui emperor bestowed one upon Yang Su, and the younger sister upon He Ruobi. The youngest sister, however, possessed striking beauty: dark green eyebrows, a dark yellow forehead, a willow-like waist, and black hair and beard. She was elegant and graceful, vaguely resembling Xi Shi of Zhao, but far surpassing Zhao Feiyan in beauty and allure. Truly, "a single smile from her could launch a thousand ships, eclipsing all the beauties of the six palaces." She was indeed a peerless beauty, and was taken into the palace, becoming the future Lady Xuanhua, who would cause a great upheaval. But we will leave her aside for now and discuss her later.
A few days later, the Sui emperor appointed Prince Qin, Jun, as the governor of Yangzhou, overseeing the military affairs of forty-four prefectures, and sent him to garrison Guangling. Prince Jin, Guang, was stationed in Bingzhou. With the unification of North and South, the court and the countryside were peaceful and prosperous, presenting a unique atmosphere of prosperity. The Sui emperor then ordered the sons of military officers to study the classics, emphasizing literature over military affairs, and heavily relied on Prince Qi, Gao Jiong; Prince Guangping, General of the Left Guard, Yang Xiong; the Crown Prince's Junior Guardian and Minister of Revenue, Pi Gong Su Wei; and the Pillar of State, Yu Qingze—these were known as the Four Nobles of the Sui Palace. Empress Dugu, whenever the Sui emperor held court, would ride alongside him in his carriage until they reached the palace. She also secretly dispatched eunuchs to observe the court affairs, reporting any shortcomings to the empress. After the emperor left court, she would offer tactful advice, which was usually heeded. The empress was exceptionally virtuous, and the Sui emperor naturally favored her. There was only one flaw in her, which was also her downfall: she was extremely jealous and could not tolerate the Sui emperor having any other women. She even made the emperor swear an oath that he would not have any children with other women. Therefore, the Sui emperor never touched any of the concubines in the harem, keeping his promise. Only the Crown Prince Yang Yong had many concubines. There were four of them, all favored by the Crown Prince: Consort Gao, who was petite and delicate; Consort Wang, with skin like snow and a face like the moon, with a beautiful figure and a willow-like waist; Consort Cheng, with eyes like water and a beautiful figure; and the most beautiful of all, Consort Yun, truly a celestial being, surpassing the other two in beauty, and the Crown Prince's favorite. However, she did not get along well with the primary wife, Consort Yuan. Therefore, the four beauties would take turns with her, and Consort Yuan rarely received his favor. Thus, we only heard of the concubines giving birth, but never of Consort Yuan giving birth. Empress Dugu was a jealous woman. Normally, she would be indignant when a concubine in the palace became pregnant and gave birth, urging the Sui emperor to punish her. Now, however, news of her own son's concubines giving birth one after another, while there was no mention of the birth of the first concubine, Yuanfei, was being neglected. This clearly showed favoritism towards concubines and neglect of his wife, how could Empress Dugu not be filled with jealousy! Whenever Crown Prince Yong entered the palace, she would show anger on her face. Originally, the Sui emperor trusted the crown prince quite a bit, often entrusting him with decisions on state affairs, and he would accept his advice, even if it was flawed. Yet, at this time, she was still displeased upon seeing him, which was undoubtedly due to Empress Dugu's abilities.
Then, on the winter solstice that year, all the officials went to the crown prince's palace to offer congratulations, and the crown prince celebrated with music.
Empress Dugu, having learned of this, advised the Sui emperor, "Crown Prince Yong is capricious and willful, often acting erratically. Today, on the winter solstice, all the officials came to the palace as usual, but he celebrated with music. Your Majesty should give him a serious warning." The Sui emperor was naturally displeased. The emperor personally drafted an edict and issued it to all officials, forbidding them from offering congratulations to the Crown Prince thereafter. From then on, the Sui emperor grew increasingly suspicious of the Crown Prince, and his favor waned. It was also the Crown Prince Yong's bad luck that his beloved primary consort, suffering from heart disease, died within two days. When Empress Dugu learned of this, she believed the Crown Prince had intentionally harmed his primary consort, and her resentment intensified. She secretly harbored the idea of deposing the Crown Prince, and daily sent eunuchs to observe the Crown Prince's shortcomings. Once he committed a serious offense, she intended to persuade the Sui emperor to depose him and replace him with Prince Guang of Jin. Prince Guang of Jin, however, had long harbored ambitions to seize the throne. He constantly sought fame and fortune, cultivating favors and connections. He also secretly observed the Sui emperor and Empress Dugu's relationship, catering to their every whim. He lived daily with his concubines, including Consort Wang and Consort Xiao, becoming inseparable. Although there were concubines in the harem, if any became pregnant or gave birth, he secretly concealed it, claiming they had not yet borne children. One day, Emperor Jian of Sui and Empress Dugu visited the residence of Prince Jin. Guang, the Prince, concealed all the beautiful concubines in the harem. Upon entering, the Emperor and
Empress saw only a few old and ugly palace maids serving as servants, their clothes plain and simple. Guang and Consort Xiao were also dressed in simple cloth. The furnishings were extremely basic. All the musical instruments were covered in dust and grime, clearly unused for a long time. Emperor Jian, being frugal and averse to extravagance, was naturally pleased to see Guang's simple attire. Empress Dugu, seeing that the Prince Jin's household had no beautiful concubines, only ugly women, and that she and Consort Xiao were fond of each other, was naturally delighted. Furthermore, the Prince and Empress were constantly by their side, showing utmost filial piety, which completely captivated the Emperor and Empress. From then on, the couple loved Prince Jin especially, unlike their other sons. Sometimes, the Sui emperor and Empress Dugu would send trusted confidants to visit the Prince of Jin's residence. Regardless of the envoy's rank, they would all be personally received by Consort Xiao, treated to lavish banquets, and offered wine with great hospitality. They would also be given gifts of gold and pearls, and personally escorted out of the residence before the envoy's departure. With such elaborate arrangements, when the envoy returned to the palace to report, everyone would speak highly of him, unanimously praising the Prince of Jin as virtuous and filial.
Emperor Sui and Empress Dugu both favored Prince Jin. Emperor Sui secretly sent a physiognomist, Lai He, to assess his sons and determine who was the best candidate. Prince Jin, Guang, already knew of this and presented Lai He with lavish gifts. The next day, Lai He reported back to Emperor Sui, saying, "Of the five princes, only Prince Jin has prominent brow bones; this is a sign of great nobility, unmatched by the other four." Emperor Sui silently agreed. Emperor Sui then privately inquired of Wei Ding, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, "Which of the princes is capable of shouldering the great responsibility of succeeding to the throne?" Wei Ding, being a supporter of Prince Jin, smiled and said, "Whom does the Empress Dowager favor most? Let him succeed; the rest are beyond my knowledge." Emperor Sui smiled but remained silent. Empress
Dugu, displeased with Crown Prince Yong, subtly hinted to Emperor Sui that she wished to make Prince Jin the Crown Prince. Because the Crown Prince had not committed any major offenses, Emperor Sui, though desiring Prince Jin, found it difficult to act. During the time of the death of Crown Prince Yong's primary wife, Lady Yuan, Prince Jin was transferred to Yangzhou. After only half a year, he requested an audience with the emperor. The Sui emperor and Empress Dugu, who were eager to see this promising son, immediately granted his request. Prince Jin, Guang, returned to the capital for the audience, speaking cautiously and with a dignified and composed demeanor. He was exceptionally humble and courteous towards ordinary officials. Both inside and outside the palace, everyone praised his virtues. On the day of his departure to return to his post, Guang entered the palace to bid farewell to his mother. He met Empress Dugu, and they lingered close, talking intimately for a long time until dusk. As he prepared to leave the palace, Empress Dugu noticed his hesitant manner, his unspoken words, and a strange expression on his face. She was quite surprised and asked him why. Guang's expression turned somber, as if he had unspeakable sorrow. Empress Dugu dismissed the palace maids and inquired again in a low voice what was wrong. Guangshi prostrated himself on the ground, weeping, and said, "Your subject is foolish by nature and has never known what is proper. Since being stationed in Guangling, I have often missed my parents, so before I was even twenty, I immediately submitted a memorial requesting to come to court. I originally hoped to see my father and mother and receive their kind instruction, but I never expected to offend my elder brother." When Empress Dugu heard Guang mention Crown Prince Yong, she said, "What can he do?" Guangshi said fearfully, "He actually suspects me, saying that I covet the throne and intends to harm me. I am terrified because of this. Considering that I am far away in a foreign land and serve the Crown Prince daily, if I am slandered and harmed, my father may find it difficult to defend himself. If he were to give me a piece of silk or a cup of poison, I truly do not know where I would die. I fear that after this parting, I will never see your kind face again." After the Prince of Jin finished speaking, tears streamed down his face, and he sobbed uncontrollably.
Empress Dugu, filled with pity, said angrily, "The Crown Prince Yang Yong, whose nickname is 'Yang Yong,' is also dissolute. The Yuan family daughter I arranged for him to marry was always healthy, yet she suddenly died, and he showed no grief, instead indulging in debauchery with the bewitching Yun family. I suspected he had harmed the Yuan family daughter, but I tolerated it for the time being and did not pursue the matter further. Now he has become even more arrogant! He even wants to harm you. I am still alive, and he is already like this; I cannot imagine what will happen to him in the future." Empress Dugu was already weeping as she spoke. Guang then pretended to comfort her, saying, "Your son is indeed unworthy, unable to influence your elder brother, and has instead caused your mother grief. Does this not only increase your sins?" Empress Dugu pondered for a long time before bitterly saying to Prince Jin, "You can rest assured, return to Yangzhou. I will handle things myself and will not let my son die a tragic death." Prince Jin was secretly pleased upon hearing this. However, he still maintained a sorrowful expression, bowed, and left. From then on, Empress Dugu's determination to depose the heir became even more resolute.
Unbeknownst to many, the Sui emperor at this time committed a romantic act that nearly led to a complete breakdown in the marriage after many years. As the saying goes: "Do not succumb to the allure of wildflowers and weeds, nor forget the vows made on your pillow years ago."
To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[History of the Sui Dynasty Palace] [23]

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