Chapter 353: Swarm of Envoys
The Emperor finally issued an imperial edict, joining with the Great Chanyu in demanding that armies everywhere cease hostilities. One of the conditions was that the Xiongnu would allow Great Chu envoys to travel freely to Jincheng for an audience.
Envoys from various regions were eager to see the Emperor, and the Emperor was equally eager to understand the situation outside. So far, everything he had heard was secondhand information, which could not put his mind completely at ease.
Large numbers of envoys had been waiting for a long time, and once permission was granted, they immediately rushed forward. Within two days, their numbers exceeded three hundred, with more than a dozen groups coming from the Capital alone.
The court ministers were even more anxious than the besieged Emperor. Upon meeting him, without exception they all knelt and wept bitterly, bringing news of nothing more than the palace’s worry and the ministers’ loyalty.
Maiden Wang’s status was too low, yet she was the Emperor’s birth mother. After much probing, the ministers finally found an appropriate form of address. In the palace, they had previously used “Empress Dowager” ambiguously, but now there was a distinction: when they said Empress Dowager, they meant Empress Dowager Shangguan; when they referred to “the palace,” they were referring to His Majesty’s birth mother.
Maiden Wang could not help but be anxious. To secure the Emperor’s safety, she would not hesitate even if it meant surrendering the entire Great Chu realm to the Xiongnu.
Han Ruzi felt deeply apologetic toward his mother. During the confrontation and negotiations with the Xiongnu, he had rarely thought of his mother, but he knew that while she might go too far, her love for him surpassed everything else.
He immediately wrote a letter asking his mother not to worry, saying he would soon finish his inspection tour and return to the Capital. He ordered Zhang Youcai to accompany the envoys and ride swiftly back to the Capital to report his safety to “the palace.”
The ministers’ attitude was rather delicate. They were pleased that the siege of Jincheng had taken a turn for the better, but they were also somewhat worried, fearing that the Emperor might settle scores later and investigate their unauthorized establishment of an heir apparent.