HCT – Extra 2 Lord Wu Cheng Quells the Palace Coup

Xianyang Palace.

After Chengjiao forced his way into the palace and sealed the gates, Li Mu — who had returned to Xianyang from discussions on the campaign against Nanyue — donned his armor and surrounded the city with troops. But with the Qin Emperor inside, he did not dare launch a direct assault.

Those inside and outside the palace fell into a stalemate, waiting only for when the food within the palace would run out. Only then might a turning point come.

Chengjiao should not have had so many soldiers. However, the Emperor had a “double-crosser” by his side — Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang contacted the old nobles of the Six States still living in Xianyang, borrowed their private troops, and helped Chengjiao storm Xianyang Palace.

The old nobles of the Six States originally did not trust Chengjiao very much. They had planned only to give him a small number of deadmen whose origins could not be traced, not daring to openly rebel against Qin.

But when they saw Chengjiao charging through the palace in full armor, dragging the bearded Qin Emperor — who was lying in bed sick and angrily scolding him — off the bed and even kicking him twice… they believed.

After all, no one could fake something like that.

Even if there were hidden reasons behind Chengjiao’s palace coup, the way he humiliated the Emperor meant he would surely die in the future.

Chengjiao saluted with cupped fists. “I will hold Xianyang Palace. Gentlemen, raise troops to pressure Qin. When I kill the Emperor and take the throne, my father left only one son behind. For the sake of Qin’s rivers and mountains, the ministers will have no choice but to support me. Then, I shall share the governance of the lands within and beyond Hangu Pass with you all!”

To show sincerity, Chengjiao even gave the city-defense map of Xianyang to the old nobles and let them leave the city.

Even if they didn’t want to raise troops, they wanted to flee Xianyang — so they all allied with him, each leaving behind one to two hundred private soldiers. This gave Chengjiao a neat two thousand men without him needing to provide armor or weapons.

Chengjiao was overjoyed and deliberately kicked and cursed the “Qin Emperor” twice in front of everyone.

Zhang Liang, the traitor, couldn’t bear to watch. He advised Chengjiao not to insult the Emperor. Qin Shi Huang was Chengjiao’s only brother and treated him with great affection. Even if he intended to usurp the throne, Chengjiao should maintain some dignity.

Chengjiao scolded Zhang Liang for harboring loyalty toward the Emperor and said he would surely betray them. Then he had Zhang Liang tied up, too.

At this moment, news arrived that the Zhang family had not rebelled but instead cooperated with Li Mu, sending a message urging Zhang Liang to turn back to the right path.

Chengjiao sneered. Zhang Liang was indeed a traitor.

So he locked Zhang Liang and the Qin Emperor together in a remote palace building, sealing the windows and doors and forbidding anyone to approach within a hundred paces — to prevent them from spreading words that might stir rebellion. People were allowed near only to deliver meals.

---

“The hell?! This is outrageous! Let’s really rebel against him!”

The “Qin Emperor” imprisoned in the dark room shouted angrily.

Zhang Liang lay weakly beside him. “Are you sure about that?”

The “Qin Emperor” stroked his beard. “Once he lets me out, I’ll go to my uncle and aunt and tell them to spank him! Aiyo, my butt… he really kicked me!”

Zhang Liang was speechless. Was tattling to elders some sort of hereditary family custom between the two royal brothers?

Of course, the “Qin Emperor” locked up with Zhang Liang was Chengjiao.

Qin Shi Huang usually appeared lofty and untouchable — who among the Six States nobles had the opportunity to study his appearance closely? Chengjiao and the Emperor looked very similar. As long as he added one “distinctive feature,” people would mistake him — for example, facial hair.

Chengjiao had not shaved when returning to Xianyang, so by the time he arrived, his beard had grown out. Add some fake beard pieces, pat on some powder, feign illness — and he looked like a bedridden Qin Emperor.

Meanwhile, the real Emperor Ying Zheng shaved his beard, tidied his eyebrows, washed his face clean, applied his uncle’s special skincare balm, and put on an arrogant, flamboyant demeanor. Suddenly he looked like a handsome, spoiled nineteen-year-old noble youth.

Who would imagine that the twenty-seven-year-old Emperor could appear so convincingly as a young wastrel like Chang’an Jun?

Zhang Liang could only think: This is Ying Zheng’s true nature.

“If you hadn’t scolded him, you probably wouldn’t have been beaten,” Zhang Liang said weakly. He had no words for Ying Zheng, and no words for Chengjiao either.

Chengjiao retorted confidently, “He usually scolds me like that!”

“…,” Zhang Liang thought.

He regretted getting involved with these two brothers. If he hadn’t sympathized with the beaten Chengjiao, Ying Zheng wouldn’t have had an excuse to lock him up as well.

“I wonder how long big brother intends to pretend to be me?” Chengjiao said while rummaging through a cabinet for dried meat, cheeks bulging just like in the old days.

“I hope he knows when to stop…” Zhang Liang said tiredly.

He had thought Ying Zheng would stop after disguising himself as Chengjiao and letting the Six States nobles flee. Who knew that Ying Zheng would then shut the palace gates and lead the nobles’ deadmen to confront the palace guards outside?

If Zhang Liang had known, he would never have agreed to Ying Zheng’s plan.

But would it have mattered if he objected?! Zhang Liang was about to lose his mind.

Why was he stupid enough to come to Xianyang Palace as Ying Zheng’s inner official? Where was the bootlicker Meng Yi? Why wasn’t he here to take the hit?!

---

Meng Yi, after being beaten mercilessly by Li Mu, was lying in bed unable to get up.

Li Mu already knew that the “rebel” in the palace was Ying Zheng himself — and that the poor real Emperor locked up was Chengjiao.

Li Mu and Meng Wu had worked together in South Qin for many years and were close. So even though Meng Yi was already of age, Li Mu still beat him mercilessly on Meng Wu’s behalf.

“A close minister who doesn’t admonish the ruler and only flatters — are you a sycophant?!” Li Mu roared.

Meng Yi obediently accepted the beating.

He knew it — the moment the Emperor sent him out to pass messages, he was bound to get beaten.

He had wanted to stay inside the palace. But who would believe that the Meng family, loyal for three generations, would rebel? He had to be sent outside. If he stayed with Chengjiao, he might get beaten too — so he figured being beaten by Lord Wu Cheng was the lesser evil.

---

“Once Zheng’er decides to do something, not even Zhu Xiang can stop him,” Lin Zhi said, rubbing his forehead in rare exasperation. “We must send someone inside to protect him.”

Cai Ze asked, “Is there any old Six States noble who might rebel but hasn’t yet?”

Li Mu and Lin Zhi exchanged a glance. “Lord Chunping!”

This Chunping Lord was a Zhao prince who once contended for the throne. After coming to Qin, he lived as a wealthy idle noble, uninvolved in politics.

Other than attending the funeral of Prince Jia after Zhao’s fall, he had never left Xianyang.

He did not join this rebellion either. The Zhao nobles had not contacted him, clearly knowing he no longer wished to stir trouble.

But he could no longer stay out of this.

“Will they believe him?” Cai Ze hesitated.

Lin Zhi replied, “Most nobles with any status have already fled Xianyang. Those left in the palace are merely servants and deadmen — people of low status. Zheng’er should already have full control.”

Li Mu said, “If I personally go in as an undercover agent, they won’t suspect it.”

Lin Zhi gritted his teeth. “Find a chance to beat Zheng’er!”

Li Mu nodded. “Better let Xue Ji come back and beat him.”

Cai Ze sighed again. “This child… Such a headache. At least he sent Xunzi and Zhu Xiang away — otherwise they’d be terribly worried.”

Lin Zhi’s smile was cold. “The next time he sends Xunzi away, we’ll know he’s planning trouble again!”

Li Mu and Cai Ze nodded repeatedly.

So Lin Zhi approached Lord Chunping. Chunping Lord was unwilling, but he had no choice.

He handed over his household servants to Li Mu, then burned down his own mansion, depressed as he left Xianyang.

My mansion… sigh. Hopefully the Qin Emperor gives me an even bigger one.

Li Mu dirtied his face, messed up his hair, and snuck into Xianyang Palace to deliver intelligence to the “Chengjiao.”

“Lord Chunping has created chaos in Xianyang. If you cannot hold the palace, now is the time to escape,” Li Mu said sincerely. “No one dares attack the palace now. I have already gone to the Three Jin states. The palace guards are lax. My lord says — escape while you can.”

He not only brought news but also brought food, easing the palace’s urgent shortage.

The deadmen left by the nobles also learned of events outside — hearing that Lord Chunping had burned his home and escaped Xianyang, they believed Li Mu’s words.

Ying Zheng held his sword, arrogant expression masking a hint of anxiety.

His teacher had personally come. Clearly, he was furious.

But Ying Zheng could not stop now.

Every day he “held” Xianyang Palace, the hidden networks of the Six States nobles within the city revealed themselves further.

If he could “hold” out until the Qin forces suppressed the rebellion, all these secret networks might be exposed — and eradicated in one sweep.

Even though raised under Zhu Xiang’s guidance, Ying Zheng was still that impatient emperor longing for swift resolution.

If he could secure the realm in one battle, he didn’t want to wait for the next.

“Escape? They’re probably waiting for us to leave the palace so they can capture us all in one net!” Ying Zheng gritted his teeth. “My father had only me and my brother. I don’t believe they dare storm the palace!”

Li Mu inhaled deeply.

“King Zichu indeed had only two sons… but King Zichu also had many brothers.”

Ying Zheng smiled. “Good. Let me see who dares jump out to fight me for the throne.”

Veins bulged on Li Mu’s hand gripping the hilt.

He really wanted to smack this brat!

Fortunately, he was thoroughly prepared.

That night, Li Mu led men into the palace and wiped out all the nobles’ deadmen in one stroke.

Ying Zheng was captured easily.

Li Mu clapped his hands and said coldly, “Your skills have deteriorated since becoming Emperor. Back in South Qin, a sneak attack wouldn’t have worked.”

Ying Zheng protested, “Teacher, I’m the Emperor. Isn’t tying me up inappropriate?”

Li Mu said, “Emperor? Aren’t you the rebel, Lord Chang’an, Chengjiao?”

Chengjiao burst into laughter. “Hahahaha, yes, you’re the rebel Chang’an— Ouch!”

Li Mu said, “You two will kneel in the corner and reflect.”

Chengjiao’s smile vanished. “…Okay.”

Li Mu added, “Zhu Xiang and Xue Ji are almost at Xianyang.”

Ying Zheng’s face went pale. “My uncle is coming?!”

Li Mu said, “If you weren’t holed up in the palace acting like a rebel, he might have pretended not to know and stayed away.”

It was just as he said.

When leaving Xianyang, Zhu Xiang had resolved to let his nephew grow into an independent Emperor.

Though troubled by the Six States unrest, he did not return to stop Ying Zheng — he merely assisted with logistics from elsewhere.

Until…

He heard that Prince Chengjiao had occupied Xianyang Palace for half a month.

Xue Ji wondered, “Why would Chengjiao hole up in the palace? Isn’t that too dangerous?”

Zhu Xiang sneered. “A person reckless enough to do something that dangerous — how could it be Chengjiao? I say Zheng’er rebelled against himself!”

“…”

Xue Ji spoke seriously, “My love, you told me not to treat him like a junior anymore… but can we make an exception this time?”

Zhu Xiang sighed. “I’ll help you cut a willow switch.”

And so, uncle and aunt returned to Xianyang carrying switches.

Next time, we’ll definitely treat Zheng’er like the First Emperor.

Definitely!