Just by finding the right spot, Wang Daxia instantly transformed into Wang Da Miao, emitting a cat-like whimper.
The bed curtains were instantly filled with the scent of osmanthus flowers. Wang Daxia, flushed with embarrassment, buried his head in the pillow and refused to get up.
Wei Caiwei nudged him, "Get up, go heat some water. I need to bathe, and tomorrow I have to cut the little imperial grandson's hair."
Feeling too ashamed to face anyone, Wang Daxia asked in a muffled voice through the pillow, "How do you know so much?"
Wei Caiwei replied, "I've studied medical texts extensively and have a thorough understanding of the human body. Books hold houses of gold and beauties like jade. Unlike you, when was the last time you read a book?"
Wang Daxia couldn't remember either—it was so long ago. If he had known reading could be this useful, he could have topped the imperial exams!
The next day, wearing her official robes as a female official of the Forbidden City, Wei Caiwei followed Consort Shang's orders to cut the hair of the newborn in Prince Yu's residence.
The imperial grandson was born with thick fetal hair. After growing for over two months, it had become ear-length hair. In the dry winter, each strand stood on end, making him look like Sun Wukong on the opera stage.
Wei Caiwei waited until the little imperial grandson was sound asleep, then raised the razor and shaved off all the fetal hair, leaving him bald. Prince Yu then carried his son's fetal hair to the Fengxian Hall to report to the ancestors—he now had an heir and begged them to protect the child so he could grow up safely.
As for anything else, he dared not hope for more.
According to protocol, the birth of an imperial grandson should involve not only hair-cutting but also congratulations from all officials and public announcements. However, all these were omitted due to the Jiajing Emperor's taboos.
The delayed hair-cutting ceremony, postponed for over a month, was finally completed. On the day of the haircut, Prince Yu's residence hosted a grand banquet to celebrate the child's belated full-month ceremony, finally giving the child official recognition.
The mother's status rose with the son's, and Prince Yu petitioned the Imperial Clan Court to enfeoff Li Jiubao as a secondary consort.
Wei Caiwei went to the Yunde Palace to report back, saying that Prince Yu's entire family would remember Consort Shang's assistance this time.
Consort Shang gazed at the gloomy sky, "If this child has any luck, let it rain according to the planchette's prophecy. The Emperor believes in this."
That night, a strong north wind blew, first bringing hailstones as large as eggs and as small as grains of rice, then turning into sleet. Indeed, sweet rain fell from the sky, driving away the wind and dust.
When the hailstones fell, the ice pellets drummed against the windows. Shang Qinglan, who was attending the Emperor, heard the noise and hurried to push open the window. A burst of cold air carrying hailstones rushed in.
"Be careful not to get hit on the feet," the Jiajing Emperor pulled his excited, jumping consort back and closed the window.
Shang Qinglan coquettishly complained, "The windows have been shut for almost a month—it's suffocating. Open them, I want to breathe the outside air."
The Jiajing Emperor waited until it turned to sleet before ordering the windows opened. Both dressed in heavy fox fur coats, they stood side by side by the window, listening to the rain and snow.
Shang Qinglan said, "The planchette was accurate—sweet rain indeed fell from the sky."
After the death of his foster brother Lu Bing, the Jiajing Emperor lost the only person he fully trusted, making him even more suspicious. But everyone needs a spiritual pillar, so the Emperor grew increasingly reliant on mystical arts and heaven.
Holding Shang Qinglan, he revealed a secret he had buried in his heart for years, "I once appointed two crown princes. My eldest son was named heir apparent just after his first full month, and I doted on him endlessly, but he died before he was three months old. The other was my second son. When his mother was pregnant, she dreamed of an immortal in starry crown and feathered robe bringing a child. Indeed, she gave birth to a son."Shang Qinglan thought to herself: Everyone knows the Emperor believes in this sort of thing—he only said that to curry favor with His Majesty. Just like how I used the excuse of spirit writing to reveal that Prince Yu’s household had welcomed a royal grandson, everyone has their weaknesses, and even the Son of Heaven is no exception.
The Jiajing Emperor gazed at the snowstorm outside, lost in memories of his painful past. "Among all my children, he was my favorite. From a young age, he was clever and filial, preferring tranquility over noise and simplicity over extravagance. Even as a child, he was detached from worldly desires—truly like an immortal banished to earth. I worried he was too young to bear such fortune, so I waited until he turned three and was strong enough before naming him Crown Prince. At the time, the Taoist priest Tao Zhongwen warned me that 'two dragons must not meet, for their encounter would bring calamity,' advising me not to appoint a crown prince so early."
"But I was already in my thirties then. The court officials and I were anxious to establish an heir to secure the nation’s foundation and stabilize the realm, so I named him Crown Prince. When he turned thirteen and was about to begin his formal studies, I grew impatient and decided to hold his capping ceremony before his studies commenced. Once capped, he would be considered an adult. Tao Zhongwen again counseled me, saying the Crown Prince was still too young for an early capping and that it would be better to wait until he was fourteen or fifteen, just before selecting his crown princess."
"I adored the Crown Prince and was utterly pleased with him. At that time, I felt I could entrust the Great Ming dynasty to him without a single regret. In a moment of impulsiveness, I ignored the advice and insisted on holding the capping ceremony. And then…"
By the end, the Jiajing Emperor’s nose was stuffed, and his throat seemed blocked by something, rendering him speechless.
Having spent three years in the palace, Shang Qinglan knew well what had happened next.
On the fifteenth day of the third month, the Crown Prince’s capping ceremony was held, with Chief Grand Secretary Yan Song presiding over the rites and Assistant Grand Secretary Xu Jie announcing the imperial edict. On the sixteenth day, civil and military officials gathered outside the Gate of Heavenly Worship to celebrate the Crown Prince’s capping.
For those two days, the Crown Prince remained in good health, showing no signs of illness. But in the early hours of the seventeenth, he suddenly fell gravely ill. The imperial physicians convened but could not diagnose the cause. Medicine proved ineffective, and within a day, his condition became critical.
That night, the Crown Prince suddenly rose from his bed, bowed in the direction of the Jiajing Emperor’s palace, and said, "Your son takes his leave!"
He then sat upright in meditation and passed away, at just thirteen years old.
Only now did Shang Qinglan understand that Tao Zhongwen had warned the Jiajing Emperor twice about the Crown Prince’s fate. This was why the Emperor later became unshakably convinced that "two dragons must not meet." No matter how his ministers pleaded, he adamantly refused to appoint another heir.
In his later years, as his health declined, he avoided even seeing his sons and grandsons. With two crown princes dead, it was clear: when two dragons met, one must perish. In the past, when his sons were young and fragile, and he was strong, it was always the "young dragon"—the sons—who died.
Now the old emperor had grown weak, becoming an aged dragon. Prince Yu, as the eldest, was robust and had just fathered a son—evidently a young, unruly, and defiant great dragon.
If the two dragons were to meet, it was obvious the frail, long-barren old dragon would be the one to perish.
The old dragon did not want to die.
Even if he had lost his only trusted foster brother, Lu Bing, and sat alone on the throne, he would rather endure that solitude than face death.
He would rather weep on the Dragon Throne than die.
Moreover, the old dragon had found rejuvenation in love. His favored consort was only seventeen, making the old emperor even more reluctant to let go.
It was only at this moment that Shang Qinglan grasped the old emperor’s true thoughts: simply put, he was afraid of death.Who isn't afraid of death? Shang Qinglan was afraid too. She also feared being left without support—the prospect of dying alone in the cold palace after enjoying imperial favor. The more glorious her present, the more desolate her future would be.
So, Your Majesty, it's not that I no longer care for you. I'm merely paving the way for my own future. I still have many long years to live, and I wish to continue this comfortable life, enjoying peace and ease until the end of my days.
On a moonlit night by the window, an old husband and young wife shared the same room but dreamed different dreams.
Goose-feather snowflakes drifted through the window, landing on the Jiajing Emperor's eyebrows before melting away. It was unclear whether the moisture on his face came from snowmelt or tears. He missed his lost crown prince and blamed himself for not heeding Tao Zhongwen's advice back then.
Shang Qinglan took out a handkerchief and wiped the old emperor's damp face. "Crown Prince Zhuangjing dreamed of an immortal bringing a celestial child at his birth, proving he was an immortal incarnation. Naturally, he was detached from worldly desires from childhood, unlike us mortals. When immortals descend to earth, they come to endure tribulations. After overcoming them, they naturally ascend to reclaim their place among the celestial ranks. Your Majesty must not grieve too deeply. Look at the night sky—perhaps Crown Prince Zhuangjing is watching over you right now."
Following Shang Qinglan's gesture, the Jiajing Emperor gazed outward. "My beloved consort speaks truth. Life is full of suffering, and even being emperor brings endless troubles. It's better to be an immortal. I shall devote myself to spiritual cultivation, hoping to one day transcend this mortal flesh like Crown Prince Zhuangjing and ascend to immortality."
Shang Qinglan wrapped her arms around the Jiajing Emperor's waist, burying her face in his chest. "My thoughts are selfish—I wish Your Majesty longevity, so you may remain in the mortal world longer to keep me company."
The emperor stroked his favorite consort's waist-length hair. "This is only natural. You are my sole attachment to this earthly realm."
Shang Qinglan thought: Actually, it's the Dragon Throne. But as the favored consort, she couldn't expose the emperor's lie. Instead, she had to pretend to believe him.
She cooed, "Your Majesty must not go back on your word. If the snow piles high tomorrow, accompany me to build a giant snowman. I want to roast meat in the snow too."
The Jiajing Emperor affectionately tapped her nose. "As you wish."
Because the divination-predicted heavenly rain had proven accurate, though the Jiajing Emperor remained wary of the newborn imperial grandson—withholding formal naming, court celebrations, and other honors—he announced the following day that Prince Yu's newborn grandson would be proclaimed throughout the realm, demonstrating compliance with divine will.
A nationwide proclamation carried far greater significance than the hair-cutting ceremony. The latter occurred within Prince Yu's residence, while the former would be published in the Ming government's officially printed Court Gazette. Functioning as a newspaper, the Gazette periodically issued important state documents, allowing local officials to learn about recent court developments.
Thus, news of Prince Yu's heaven-sent imperial grandson—whose birth brought blessed rain to the dust-plagued capital—spread rapidly across the nation, known to all under heaven.
This inevitably reached the Yan family in Jiangxi and Prince Jing, then residing in distant Anlu, Hubei.
The imperial grandson's birth effectively made Prince Yu the uncrowned crown prince—devastating news for both the Yan family and Prince Jing.Yan Shifan brought the latest issue of the Capital Gazette, still fragrant with ink, to show his elderly father. "Father, our covert agents have repeatedly expressed goodwill to Prince Yi. The imperial family treats feudal lords like pigs—each one spoiled rotten, understanding nothing beyond pleasure, daring to harbor no ambition. Prince Yi has been evasive, unwilling to commit, waiting for us to seize the throne and move his rear onto the dragon throne in the capital. He refuses to contribute, intent on freeloading entirely."
"I believe we should still cooperate with Prince Jing. He has ambition and tactics, listens to us, and Hubei and Jiangxi are close. We only need to clear a few obstacles to collaborate fully with Prince Jing."
After reading the Gazette, Yan Song saw that Prince Yu enjoyed popular support and had gained a son, while Prince Jing’s household of wives and concubines had not even produced a single princess, further distancing him from the succession. Feeling the time to act had come, he said:
"Then proceed as planned. Do it cleanly, leaving no traces or clues. Wang Daxia is with the Embroidered Uniform Guard—the most troublesome scoundrel to deal with."
By November, even Jiangxi was covered in snow. Wang Commander took leave and, before the river froze, hurriedly boarded an official ship with his son, heading for the capital.
As the official ship reached Wuhu, heavy snow fell, and they encountered two vessels that appeared to be fleeing Japanese Pirates.
The pirate ships fired cannons at the official ship, and Wang Commander ordered a cannonade in return.
The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were wide; the three ships exchanged fire but missed, hitting only the river water.
Wang Commander commanded, "Don’t engage them further. Turn the ship around—we’ll return to Jiangxi to mobilize the navy for an encirclement. We can’t let these Japanese Pirates break into Jiangxi."
An advisor remarked, "If we don’t leave now, even if the river doesn’t freeze, the canal might, and we’ll miss the eldest young master’s wedding."
Wang Commander said sternly, "Military affairs take precedence over weddings! Hurry back!"
As soon as he spoke, the ship jolted violently. The captain rushed in panic to report, "Traitors who infiltrated have blown a hole in the hull! It’s taking on water, and the ship is sinking. Everyone, evacuate to the lifeboats quickly!"
Author’s Note: This story is a bit hard on fathers. Call it the League of Father-Worriers.
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