The silk curtains of the pavilion where the Emperor resided had been drawn for a long time, and the music and singing outside continued for just as long. It was only when sounds emerged from within again that the eunuchs stationed on both sides signaled the performers to stop and lifted the silk curtains.
The Emperor sat up with a hint of drowsiness, his spirits noticeably better than before.
"Has A Xun arrived?" he asked.
His Majesty’s memory was growing increasingly unreliable. The eunuch bowed his head and cautiously replied, "He already paid his respects to Your Majesty and left with the Crown Prince."
The Emperor made an acknowledging sound, squinting his eyes as if recalling something. He reached for a cup of wine that had been poured nearby and took a slow sip.
"What did the Crown Prince say? Why did A Xun come to the capital?" he asked again.
The eunuch repeated what the Crown Prince had said earlier and added what the Crown Prince had omitted.
"Minister Liang requested the Court of Judicial Review’s assistance in finding Miss Chu. The Court then asked Prince Zhongshan to intercept her during her journey. After the interception, the Crown Prince of Zhongshan escorted her back."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor set down his wine cup and narrowed his eyes. "He escorted Miss Chu back? Who ordered him to do so? Chu Ling?"
"No, no," the eunuch hurriedly clarified. "It was rather unfortunate for the Crown Prince of Zhongshan. While Miss Chu and her party were traveling through Prince Zhongshan’s territory, they encountered bandits. The incident escalated, requiring the deployment of government troops and resulting in many civilian casualties. Since there were court officials among Miss Chu’s party, Prince Zhongshan grew uneasy and specially came to the capital to explain the matter to the court. He submitted a request in advance, which the Crown Prince approved."
The Emperor made another acknowledging sound and chuckled. "My younger brother is truly cautious, unwilling to leave any room for criticism, afraid that others might harm him."
The eunuch also breathed a sigh of relief and poured more wine for the Emperor. "It’s good to be cautious. That is the proper way."
Only the Emperor’s own sons could afford to be informal in his presence—brothers and nephews were not permitted such liberties.
The Emperor drank slowly, seeming both intoxicated and lucid. "What was the matter with Chu Ling’s daughter again?"
The eunuch responded promptly, "Chu Ling’s daughter assaulted Miss Liang. Minister Liang refused to let the matter rest, so Chu Ling appealed to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty resolved the issue for him."
The Emperor remained silent and drained his cup in one gulp.
"Your Majesty, do you need to reply to Chu Ling’s letter?" the eunuch cautiously inquired. "He is seeking Your Majesty’s guidance on that matter—"
Before he could finish, the Emperor’s expression turned furious.
"Why should I reply to him?" he roared. "Who does he think he is! How dare he lecture me! Blame me! Clearly, he is the one who made the mistake! 'The skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege; he overthrows their kingdom without a prolonged operation—'"
He hurled his wine cup to the ground, and that was not enough—he overturned the wine jug, the table, and everything in front of him.
These were the very words Chu Ling had used to reprimand him back then. Even after so long, they remained etched in the Emperor’s heart, a testament to how deeply the rift between them had been. The chief eunuch sighed inwardly and led everyone in kneeling.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Amidst the sound of hurried footsteps, a group of palace maids escorted a lavishly dressed imperial consort who glided in gracefully, calling out loudly, "Your Majesty, what has happened to Your Majesty?"
At the sight of this consort, the eunuchs and performers breathed a collective sigh of relief, exclaiming, "The Imperial Concubine is here."
Consort Zhao had already reached the Emperor’s side, embracing his arm. "Who has angered Your Majesty again?" Without waiting for a reply, she shook his arm and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, do not be angry. Come quickly and play a game of chess with me. I have learned new strategies this time and will surely defeat Your Majesty."The Imperial Concubine, already over thirty years old, still maintained a youthful demeanor. Swayed by the beauty, the Emperor's anger instantly dissipated, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"Don't come crying to me if you lose," he laughed.
Concubine Zhao took the Emperor's hand, urging, "Hurry, hurry."
The Emperor followed her steps, treading over the mess on the floor as if his previous fury had never occurred.
The eunuchs and performers left behind only dared to rise after the footsteps faded, heaving sighs of relief.
One eunuch smiled bitterly and said, "The Imperial Concubine still asked who angered His Majesty. If it weren't for the Third Prince—"
Before he could finish, the chief eunuch slapped him on the head.
"Tired of living?" he scolded. "If you don't want to live, go throw yourself into the lake tonight."
The eunuch lowered his head sheepishly, not daring to say another word, and hurriedly began cleaning up the mess on the floor.
……
……
Deyang Hall was where the Emperor handled court affairs. Now that the Emperor had delegated these matters to the Crown Prince, he rarely set foot here.
Inside Deyang Hall, officials knelt while the Crown Prince sat on the floor, piles of memorials stacked before him.
His expression was solemn, his robust figure imposing. His gaze swept over the memorials as if carefully weighing how to decide.
The eunuchs on both sides held their breath, not making a sound.
The Crown Prince reached out and lifted a stack of memorials. After repeating this several times, he finally pointed with satisfaction at the heaviest pile. "Keep this one. Take the others away."
With this decision, officials whose memorials weren't selected sighed in dismay, but none dared to step forward and argue. This was because many burly men stood on both sides of the hall. They also wore official robes, though different from the standard ones—these men were the Crown Prince's riding and archery instructors, whom he had appointed as "strength officials," allowing them to swagger into court sessions.
If anyone disagreed during court discussions, they wouldn't hesitate to lay hands on the officials.
The eunuchs carried over the memorials not chosen by weight, and the officials retrieved their own, resigning themselves as they withdrew.
"I truly cannot wait any longer. This concerns disaster relief grain," one official fretted, glancing back at the Crown Prince seated in the hall.
Gritting his teeth, he prepared to step forward and plead with the Crown Prince, but another official pulled him back.
"If you anger His Highness and get beaten up, you'll be bedridden for ten days to half a month, delaying matters even further," the official advised, gesturing toward a strength official and giving a meaningful look.
The first official understood, somewhat helplessly pulling a money pouch from his sleeve. He approached a strength official and whispered, "Sir, please help." Slipping the pouch into the man's hand.
The bearded strength official accepted the pouch with a satisfied smile, though he also sighed helplessly. "Official Qi, the Crown Prince's method for selecting memorials is unpredictable. This time he picks the heaviest, next time the lightest, and the time after that, neither heavy nor light. I can't guarantee—"
Official Qi looked distressed. "This truly cannot wait. Thousands of people are waiting to eat—"
The strength official wasn't one to take money without offering help. Clearing his throat softly, he whispered, "Official Qi, if you want speed, you'd better seek help from Lord Yang."
There were many officials surnamed Yang in the court, but when the strength official mentioned Lord Yang, everyone knew he referred to the Crown Prince's maternal uncle without needing to specify a name.
Imperial Uncle Yang now oversaw military affairs in the Grand Commandant's office.
Official Qi looked somewhat resigned. "This is a matter for the Ministry of Revenue—"
The strength officials were all martial men who understood nothing of governance.The official also wore an expression that said "Why can't you understand?"—"Whether it's the Ministry of Revenue's affairs or the Ministry of War's affairs, they're all court matters."
Didn't this imply that all court matters were Lord Yang's business? How utterly— The official sighed helplessly, thanked the attendant, and walked out clutching the memorials.
Even if Imperial Uncle Yang scraped off a layer of profit, at least thousands could still be fed and kept from starvation. That settled the matter.
As the officials dispersed, the hall returned to silence. The Crown Prince casually flipped through a few memorials before tossing them aside impatiently. "Has the literary gathering the Third Prince is organizing been investigated?"
An attendant stepped forward: "We've investigated thoroughly. The Third Prince has posted notices everywhere—regardless of status or rank, all may attend the literary gathering, provided they pass the assessment at Spring Gazing Garden's entrance."
"What assessment?" asked the Crown Prince.
Another attendant chuckled: "Merely poetry, verse, calligraphy, or perhaps chess."
Poetry and brushstrokes couldn't kill anyone. The Crown Prince nodded: "Keep watch on the participants. Don't let him use this to recruit undesirable elements."
The attendants acknowledged in unison: "Our people are stationed everywhere, monitoring day and night." Then they inquired: "If any suspicious individuals are found, should we conduct strict investigations—"
The Crown Prince laughed: "Strict investigations? Unnecessary. What's there to investigate? Just beat them to death!"
He stood up, cracking his shoulders with a series of pops.
"Let him understand that schemes and tricks are no match for my fists."
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