At the very same moment Wu Sangui received that carefully crafted imperial secret edict, the capital had already begun moving in quieter, subtler ways, as if the entire city had suddenly become a chessboard where every piece started plotting for itself.
Emperor Chongzhen, cornered on all sides with no troops, no money, and no reliable allies left, still refused to give up the one thing he had never lacked, which was the ability to scheme even when the situation was already beyond saving.
So while one messenger rode north to tempt ambition, another chose a far less dignified route.
From the western wall of the capital, a eunuch lowered himself down on a rope under the cover of night, robes brushing against cold stone, movements careful yet lacking any real elegance, landing on the ground before quickly straightening his posture as if that alone could restore the dignity of his position.
This man was Eunuch Wang Dehua.
And tonight, he was not just a messenger, but a gambler carrying the Emperor's last desperate wager.
Not far ahead lay the Shaanxi camp of the Shared Governance faction, the forces that supported Qin Prince Heir Zhu Cunji.
The camp was quiet.
Too quiet.
Not the loose silence of disorganized rebels, but a controlled stillness that spoke of discipline, the kind that made even an outsider instinctively lower his voice.
Wang Dehua slowed down, eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the neat arrangement of tents, the orderly patrol routes, and the complete absence of chaos.
This was not what he expected.
Zhu Cunji was supposed to be a useless princeling, a spoiled noble with no real ability, yet the army under his banner looked anything but incompetent.
Before he could think further, a voice cut through the darkness.
"Who goes there?"
A sentry had already spotted him.
Wang Dehua quickly composed himself and stepped forward.
"I am Wang Dehua, I serve His Majesty."
The guard let out a short laugh, not even bothering to hide the mockery.
"We came here to drag His Majesty off the throne, and you came here to introduce yourself?"
Wang Dehua forced a stiff smile.
"I am here to see Qin Prince Heir Zhu Cunji, I carry a secret imperial edict."
The guard tilted his head, clearly amused.
"At this point, who still listens to edicts?"
Even so, he waved him in.
"Fine, I will report it, might as well see how this plays out."
---
Wang Dehua was led into the camp, and the deeper he went, the more uneasy he became.
Everything was orderly.
Everything was controlled.
Everything felt… prepared.
This was not a mob.
This was an army.
By the time he reached the central tent, his earlier assumptions about Zhu Cunji had already begun to crack.
Then he stepped inside, and whatever remained of those assumptions shattered completely.
Because the man he came to see was standing there in loose nightwear, holding a pig-bristle toothbrush, calmly brushing his teeth like a man who had absolutely no concern for imperial urgency.
Foam clung to the corner of his mouth as he spoke, words coming out in broken rhythm.
"Wang… Gong… Gong… I was just about… to sleep… brushing my teeth… you came at a bad time… sorry about that…"
Wang Dehua froze for a moment, then felt a surge of irritation rising in his chest.
He had come here carrying the Emperor's secret edict, and this man was brushing his teeth.
Brushing.
His.
Teeth.
So that slogan about "No Cavities" was actually real.
Zhu Cunji rinsed his mouth, spat the foam aside, and finally spoke clearly.
"Wang Gonggong, do you want to try this toothpaste, it is called Leng Suan Ling, a heavenly product, it solves sensitivity, cold, sour, sweet, everything. If you want, I will give you a discount, only fifty taels a box."
Wang Dehua's expression stiffened.
"You are staring at me like that for what," Zhu Cunji continued casually, "just trust me, I do not run dishonest ads."
Wang Dehua almost lost control right there.
It took visible effort for him to suppress his anger before finally getting to the point.
"Ahem, Your Highness, I am here with His Majesty's secret edict."
Zhu Cunji raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Wang Dehua pulled out the scroll.
Zhu Cunji took it and read.
The content was, as expected, full of empty words, but the meaning was simple.
Emperor Chongzhen admitted that he could no longer hold the throne, but he did not want the empire to fall into the hands of outsiders like Flat Rabbit, Chen Qianhu, or Wu Sangui, and after looking around, he had concluded that among all members of the imperial clan, only Zhu Cunji was worthy of inheriting the throne.
As long as he eliminated the other rebel forces, the empire would be his.
Zhu Cunji almost laughed.
What nonsense is this, you think I would believe that?
But outwardly, he showed nothing but delight.
"Ah, many thanks to His Majesty, I never expected that he thought so highly of me, this is truly touching."
Wang Dehua nodded eagerly.
"His Majesty hopes that the Zhu family's empire can continue to flourish in your hands."
Zhu Cunji smiled.
"Of course, I will do my best."
Wang Dehua finally relaxed.
Good.
The mission was a success.
---
At the same time, in another camp, Tang Prince Zhu Yujian was also reading a similar edict.
The same tone.
The same promise.
The same request.
Eliminate the others, and the throne would be his.
Zhu Yujian let out a quiet laugh.
"So now you remember extinguishing my loyalty back then."
---
Elsewhere, Chen Qianhu held his own copy, reading through it with a calm expression.
The Emperor admitted that none of the imperial clan were capable, then turned to praise Chen Qianhu's military achievements, suggesting that perhaps the empire would be safer in his hands.
Chen Qianhu lowered the letter and snorted.
"So you praise my ability, but not my character."
"Fine, at least you are honest."
---
And then, in the southern camp, things went in an entirely different direction.
Flat Rabbit held the edict in his hands, rotating it left and right, upside down and sideways, before suddenly lighting up.
"I recognize this character, so this side must be the top."
The eunuch standing beside him fell silent.
"Do you want me to read it for you?"
Flat Rabbit nodded.
"Yes, this is clearly advanced literature."
The eunuch took a breath and read aloud.
"The Emperor says he knows he must abdicate, but he does not trust the princes or generals, they do not understand the suffering of the common people. Only you, Flat Rabbit, come from the grassroots and understand the people. If you eliminate the other factions, the throne will be yours."
Flat Rabbit nodded seriously.
"I see."
Then, without warning, he turned and punched Zheng Gouzi straight in the face.
A loud thud echoed.
Zheng Gouzi dropped to the ground.
"What the hell was that for?"
Flat Rabbit cracked his knuckles.
"I am eliminating rival factions, starting with you."
Zheng Gouzi exploded with anger.
"Are you insane, come on then!"
He jumped up and threw a punch.
Flat Rabbit immediately countered, and the two started trading blows right in front of the stunned eunuch.
The eunuch stood there, completely frozen.
This worked? That fast?
He instinctively took a step back.
Then another.
Because the situation was clearly escalating into something that could very easily involve collateral damage.
Punches flew back and forth, fists colliding with dull thuds, until after several exchanges, Flat Rabbit let out a cry and was knocked to the ground, receiving two more hits before raising his hands in surrender.
"I give up, I give up, spare me."
Zheng Gouzi finally stopped.
Flat Rabbit climbed back to his feet, rubbing his bruises, then turned toward the eunuch with a completely serious expression.
"You saw that, right, I cannot even beat this guy, dealing with the other factions would be extremely difficult, basically a near-death task."
The eunuch nodded slowly, unsure where this was going.
Flat Rabbit continued.
"If the Emperor wants me to do something this dangerous, the reward should be increased."
The eunuch blinked.
"Increased?"
Flat Rabbit pointed at Zheng Gouzi.
"Giving me the throne alone is not enough."
"Give him one too."
The eunuch went completely silent.
Flat Rabbit crossed his arms, fully convinced of his own logic.
"One empire, two emperors, that sounds fair."