The Coup's Finale is the 435th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
A defeated Rou Ai is on his knees with his hands bound and tied as he is about to be punished. Such is the fate of a man who chose to shoulder infamy. All for the sake of fulfilling the promise made to his beloved.
At the Chu/Qin borders in the region of Gento, the news of the Ai rebellion ending in failure reaches Ka Rin. She is not pleased about this turn of events as she was about to get serious against Mou Bu. Mou Bu, Roku O Mi, Mou Ten, Ou Hon and others are facing Ka Rin Army. Haku Rei is given the order to retreat and relays this message to Kou Yoku. The latter cannot believe this as he says that they are not losing. She explains that the messenger said that their "paymasters" were defeated. Either way she says that they are withdrawing.
The Qin Army notice that the Chu are withdrawing. Ou Hon says that they now know for sure that the state of Ai and Chu had a deal. Mou Ten agrees. Roku O Mi stands beside them as well looking at the enemy forces leaving the battlefield. Mou Ten says that not only did Chu's invasion coincide with the Ai's declaration of independence, with this withdrawal, it is pretty much confirmed. Roku O Mi is asking if they seriously claiming that Chu would march their armies all for the sake of some pissant little state like Ai. Ou Hon agrees that it does seem to be overdoing it slightly. Mou Ten however disagrees. It is just how important this entire affair is. In fact, the very failure of this revolt might have led to some earth-shattering changes in some place that they are not aware of. Both Ou Hon and Roku O Mi realize he means Ryo Fui and the court of Qin. Mou Ten states that he is the one who have been defeated. The state of Qin is about to enter a brand-new era.
Back at Kanyou Rou Ai is being displayed in public. The man who initiated a rebellion. After being transferred to Kanyou, Rou Ai fully confessed to all that had transpired to him thus far. Even the fact that he was originally smuggled into the Royal Harem as a fake eunuch under Ryo Fui's directives, everything was laid bare by Rou Ai. Or at least, everything except for one certain aspect of the rebellion. And that was Rou Ai claimed that the forgery of the Royal seal, the subsequent theft of the Queen's seal and the usage of it to raise an army for revolt was all a plan he had devised. In essence, Rou Ai fervently maintained that the entire coup had nothing to do with the Queen Mother, and that he himself was responsible for everything that had occurred.
And so it was that Rou Ai was judged guilty of committing the most heinous of all crimes in Qin law. And that was to be executed by being pulled apart by teams of horses. Suddenly the Queen raises her voice and says that it is enough. Everyone is shocked to see the Queen Mother here. Rou Ai looks up for the first time and looks towards his beloved. Shou Bun Kun calls for the guards while he is asking himself how she got here. She then continues. She tells everyone present that this man is an incompetent buffoon with not even a speck of talent. Nor does he harbor any wild ambitions. He is a wholly insignificant little man. She tells them that it should be obvious and inconceivable for a man like him to have orchestrated this rebellion. She tells them that of course it was all done by her. She says that she was behind it all. If they are going to have Rou Ai torn apart by horses, then they should first have herself chained to those beasts. Rou Ai however does not want that. She turns to Ei Sei and tells him to try it.
Ei Sei tells her that this cannot be done. It is Rou Ai who has been declared guilty of acting as the leader of the rebellion not her. Ei Sei's mother is angry and tries to get to Ei Sei as she is being held back by soldiers. Then the Queen becomes shocked and silently asks if he plans to kill them too. She asks if he plans to kill her two children she had with Rou Ai. She asks if he plans to take them away from her as well. Everyone is shocked as the information of her having children with Rou Ai is not public information.
Ei Sei responds that so to as to prevent any further occurrences of these rebellions, he is obligated to thoroughly extinguished any sparks that may grow to become a threat to their state in the future. Everyone is shocked again as the Queen begins to prostrate before Sei and begs him to reconsider. Ryo Fui is surprised as well.
Characters
Qin
- Royal Palace
- Ei Sei Faction
- Ei Sei
- Kou
- You
- Shi Shi
- Shou Bun Kun
- Unnamed officials
- Ryo Fui Faction
- Ei Sei Faction
- Mou Bu Army
- Mou Bu
- Unnamed members
- Unnamed others
- Kanyou
- Unnamed officials
- Unnamed citizens
- Unnamed soldiers
Ai
- Royal Palace
- Rou Ai
- Queen Mother
- Rou Ai’s children (mentioned)
Chu
High Points
- The news of the Ai rebellion ending in failure reaches the Chu army.
- Mou Bu, Roku O Mi, Mou Ten, Ou Hon and others are facing Ka Rin army.
- The Chu army retreats.
- Rou Ai tells everyone everything he knows.
- Rou Ai is to be executed by being pulled apart by horses.
- The Queen Mother tries to come to Rou Ai's aid.
- The Queen Mother confesses her crime.
- The Queen Mother asserts that by logic, she should be pulled apart by horses as well.
- Ei Sei refuses the Queens request.
- The Queen Mother bows and begs for mercy.