第5章 忠誠代價與王座陰影 從國境的山嶽地區回到首湖城需要的時間不短，畢竟這是一個大國，而首都首湖城位置更 偏西邊，與東邊的王國邊境距離有點遠． 當然帝國沿著帝國東西大道建立起了驛站，為帝國的訊息傳遞預備了大量的馬匹，寒煜公 跟親兵一開始從軍隊裡面拉出來的一人三匹馬，加上沿途的驛站換馬，寒煜公回京的速度 甚至比所謂的六百里加急還快． 為了回報勝利的喜訊，寒煜公提早派出了傳訊騎士回國沿路通報大捷，這些傳訊騎士沿著 帝國東西大道一路狂奔傳遞勝利，中途只有晚上睡在驛站，只要稍為天光能看見就繼續奔 跑沿路高喊勝利． 但是現在的寒煜公已經超過了他派出去的傳訊騎士了，出發的時候帶的百名親信，現在能 跟在身邊的不到三位． 從國境到國都如果依照正常的全騎兵行軍，大約需要二十天的時間，寒煜公把自己綁在馬 匹上，在馬上睡覺，讓驛站的騎士牽著他的馬在夜間賓士到下一個驛站，就這樣一路風塵 僕僕趕回國都首湖城． 為何要這樣拚命？ 其實在會戰開始之前，寒煜公就接到了皇帝病危甚至可能沒多久時間的急報，要求他＂立 刻＂回國都，但是他選擇了打完仗才回去，如果皇帝駕崩，還好說，如果皇帝沒死，一個 皇子手握軍權在外抗旨不回．．． 光是想想就知道會引發多大的問題，所以他只能賣命奔回國去． 皇帝北斗晃，歷史的評價只有二字，多疑． 就一個皇帝的身份而言，他在位的期間國家強盛人民富足，國內安定國外擴張，絕對是明 君，然而多疑，卻是他最大的爭議點． 如果我們穿越時空，這樣的多疑皇帝最有名的就是秦皇漢武隋文朱八雍正這幾位，當然其 他的皇帝或多或少也會如此． 為何扶蘇拿到要他自盡的假聖旨會不懷疑的自我了斷？ 背後的因素就是因為扶蘇相信始皇生性多疑，他遲早會死於始皇的旨意之下，所以扶蘇毫 不懷疑的自盡． 而漢武帝這個雜碎，更是多疑的造成了巫蠱之禍，整個事件因為漢武帝一個人的多疑個性 ，結果就是逼著太子不反都要反． 在政治上，尤其是宮廷政治，多疑是最可怕的魔鬼，只要當權者對你產生了懷疑，無論你 做多少，都會被認定是反意或是藏匿反意． 北斗晃就是這樣的皇帝，而寒煜公也是在這樣的教育下長大的． 從小到大，北斗晃的樂趣就是＂試探人心＂，尤其是測試皇子們的心． 他會設計各種誘惑，讓皇子們落入圈套． 比如說他會設計一場小火災，然後觀察皇子們的反應，跑得快的會被責備說只顧自己逃命 ，罔顧人民，沒有皇族的擔當，拉去宗廟跪三天． 留下來抗災的，會被責備說年紀小啥都不懂只會亂指揮，平添專業人士的負擔，不懂得放 權，不懂得尊重專業，也是拉去跪三天． 無論怎樣做，都沒有正確的答案． 不只是如此，北斗晃還會刻意的挑撥三位皇子的感情，他會跟大皇子說二皇子比你優秀， 比你更適合當皇帝，然後轉頭跟二皇子說三皇子昨天來告密說他行為不檢點，又跟三皇子 說大皇子看不起他． 北斗晃這些行為並不是他刻意為之，而是他認為這很樂，他喜歡這樣的樂子，一種變態的 控制欲． 皇子們都知道，然而如果表現的都沒中計，就反而就成了北斗晃憎恨的物件，所以明知道 這些是設計的陷阱，還是要表現出自己憎恨兄弟的行為，否則就會讓父皇懷疑． 這就是北斗皇室，更不用提後宮會在這樣的皇帝縱容下如何的混亂了，皇后只能自保，妃 子互相陷害，就算不反都會被逼著反了． 父皇的陰影，是寒煜公，帝國三皇子揮之不去的噩夢． 所以寒煜公懼怕，懼怕如果這又是一次父皇的測試，測試他的忠誠度．．． 更讓他懼怕的是，皇帝拿戰爭作為測試人心的工具． 國家大事在北斗晃的眼中已經淪落成了玩物嗎？ 所以無論如何，寒煜公都要在最快時間內回來，如果皇帝死了，他想要親眼見到這個惡魔 的最後，如果皇帝沒死，他只能用這樣的方式來證明自己的忠誠． 一路上的趕路，讓寒煜公進入國都的時候嚇呆了城門守將，難道是帝國軍戰敗了？寒煜公 這分明是敗軍之將的慘狀，然而寒煜公完全不理會這些外在看法，他必須要在最短時間內 從城門口進入皇宮內覆命，渾身惡臭，原來閃亮的銀白鎧甲處處污漬，這些都是小事情， 若是讓守門的士兵比他先到父皇那邊稟報，他這幾天的辛苦就白費了． 寒煜公在城門口強行換了一匹軍馬，快馬賓士穿過鋪著巨石地面的街道，這條街道寬大的 可以讓二十四人正面大方陣通過，直直的通往深處的皇宮內城，也因為這條街道的寬大， 所以街道中間有專屬於可以快馬賓士的馬車專用道，不會造成市民的困擾與危險． 內城城門口，仿青銅的巨大城門開啟了，禁軍將領高喊通報． 「寒煜公回城，帶領殿下入內．」 皇宮的建築及其宏偉壯大，內城主要是依據聳立在北斗湖畔的丘陵而建，內城城牆包圍著 丘陵，而整個丘陵都是皇宮的範圍． 最寬大約現代一千四百米，最窄處約為現代八百米，北邊有面向北斗湖的皇家碼頭，六道 樓門、四座塔城、壕溝、內壁、中庭，以及兩千餘間的房間，構成了這個同時具備要塞功 能的帝國中樞． 帝國的專業官員很多都分配了房間在內城，所以除了輪休之日，這些官員都會居住在內城 處裡國事，休假日才會回到外城的住所． 在寒煜公經過了第二十道門之後，終於來到了議事大廳，侍從與朝臣都聚在這裡，等待著 某種不知道該不該期待的結果． 「皇帝陛下的病情如何？」 寒煜公回到自已家的第一句話，也是他思考很久之後，唯一能說的話． 寒煜公的聲音聽起來依然保持者冷靜，但這卻是他盡到了最大的努力才能穩定下來的表情 ，他害怕又希望，但是都不能表露出來，任何一點點的細小反應都可能成為日後的把柄． 「回殿下，您若是能早回來一天，還能見上陛下的最後一面，陛下昨夜殯天了！」 滿庭官員跟侍從一片開始哭泣，各種表演都用上了，然而寒煜公看的出來，都是演戲，哭 中帶笑，笑中有淚，難為大家了． 真的死了嗎？ 侍女取來了麻衣，讓三皇子寒煜公換上，現在，寒煜公終於有了父皇已經死了的感覺． １－５完 因為，明天過後，需要吃飯的人會減少很多. Chapter 5: The Price of Loyalty and the Shadow of the Throne The journey from the border mountains back to Capital Lake City was long. This was a vast empire， and the capital lay deep in its western heart—far from the eastern frontier where the battle had been fought. Though the Imperial East–West Highway was lined with relay stations prepared with spare horses， Duke Aureus had begun the return with one hundred trusted riders， each leading three mounts. With constant remounting， and changing horses at every relay station， Aureus was traveling even faster than the famed“six-hundred-li urgent dispatch.” To spread word of the victory， he had earlier sent herald riders to gallop westward. These couriers ran day and night， resting only a few hours at relay stations ， shouting the news in every town along the Imperial road: “Victory! Duke Aureus has triumphed!” But now， Aureus had overtaken all of them. Of the hundred who set out with him， fewer than three remained by his side. Under normal circumstances， even a full cavalry regiment would require twenty days to ride from the border to the capital. Aureus did it by strapping himself to the saddle， sleeping on horseback， and letting relay-station riders guide his mount through the night. Why push himself so brutally? Because—before the battle had even begun—Aureus had received a message from the capital. The Emperor was gravely ill. Possibly dying. He had been“ordered” to return at once. Aureus chose instead to finish the campaign. If the Emperor died， the matter would still be manageable. But if the Emperor lived—and a prince with full military power had ignored an imperial summons… The consequences would be catastrophic. He rode now as though death itself chased him. Emperor Polaris Dawn was a man history remembered with two words: deep suspicion. By the standards of a sovereign， he was exceptional—during his reign the Empire prospered within and expanded without. He was， by any objective measure， a“wise ruler.” But his suspicion—his pathological love of testing loyalty—was the poison at the heart of his rule. In another age， men of his temperament were infamous: Qin Shihuang， Emperor Wu of Han， Emperor Wen of Sui， Zhu Di， Yongzheng… names bound by the same political shadow. Why had Fusu obeyed a false imperial decree and taken his own life without question? Because he believed his father—Qin Shihuang—was absolutely capable of ordering his death for the slightest doubt. Suspicion is the most lethal demon in palace politics. If the one in power suspects you， no amount of loyalty will save you. Polaris Dawn was exactly such a ruler. And Aureus—the Third Prince—had grown up under that shadow. From childhood， the Emperor’s favorite amusement had been“testing hearts， ” especially the hearts of his sons. He engineered traps， temptations， false crises. Once， he staged a small fire in the palace. Those who ran first were scolded for cowardice and forced to kneel in the ancestral temple for three days. Those who stayed behind to help were berated for meddling， for overstepping authority， and were also dragged to kneel for three days. Every action was wrong. Every path a trap. He sowed discord between the princes for sport: telling the eldest that the second was more fit to inherit， telling the second that the third had slandered him， and telling the third that the eldest despised him. This was not calculated strategy— it was pleasure. A twisted delight in control. The princes knew these were traps. Yet if they refused to play along—if they acted harmonious and unmoved— they became objects of suspicion instead. Thus they were forced to perform hatred to avoid provoking hatred. Such was the Polaris royal household. And the harem， with such a master above it， was even worse. The Empress struggled to survive. Concubines plotted endlessly. Even those who had no intention of rebellion were forced into it. The Emperor’s shadow was a nightmare that Aureus had never escaped. He feared— feared that this latest summons was another“test，” a test of his loyalty， a test using war itself as bait. Had national affairs become a toy in the Emperor’s hands? Aureus did not know. But he knew one truth: He had to return faster than any rumor. If the Emperor was dead， he wished to see the body with his own eyes. If the Emperor lived， he had to prove his loyalty with speed alone. When he finally reached the capital gates， his appearance stunned the guards. He looked like a defeated general—filthy， sleep-deprived， armor tarnished and reeking of travel. The guards wondered if the Imperial army had lost. Aureus ignored them. If even one of these soldiers reached the palace before him， all his effort would be wasted. He seized a fresh horse at the gate and galloped down the wide stone avenue— the great central artery of the capital， wide enough for twenty-four men in phalanx abreast， its center lane reserved for fast riders and official carriages. At the inner citadel， the bronze-plated gates opened. “The Duke of Winter returns! Clear the way for His Highness!” The palace rose like a mountain upon the southern shore of the lake. An inner wall enclosed the entire hill. Within it stood six gatehouses， four fortified towers， moats， courts， halls， and more than two thousand chambers— the beating heart of the Empire. Most senior officials lived here year-round， leaving only on rest days to visit their homes in the outer city. After passing the twentieth gate， Aureus reached the Hall of Audience. Court officials and attendants gathered in uneasy clusters— waiting for news they were unsure they wished to hear. “How is His Majesty’s illness?” It was the first thing he said. The only thing safe to say. His voice was steady， but only because he forced every muscle in his face into submission. Fear. Hope. Dread. All bottled beneath a thin layer of calm. If he slipped—even once— someone would remember it. “Your Highness… had you returned one day earlier， you could have seen His Majesty one last time. The Emperor passed away last night.” Wailing filled the hall. Tears， cries， collapsed bodies— yet Aureus could see the truth. They were performances. All of them. Weeping with smiles hidden beneath. “Truly dead…?” The thought echoed through him. A maid brought mourning clothes. Only when Aureus donned the coarse hemp robe did the truth settle upon him. His father was dead. 1-5 End Tomorrow， fewer people would need to eat. --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc), 來自: 101.14.3.113 (臺灣) ※ 文章網址: https://webptt.com/m.aspx?n=bbs/DummyHistory/M.1764744120.A.29E.html