“Chapter 81: Vain Dreams Turn to Void”

"Chapter 81: Vain Dreams Turn to Void"

"Prince Guangling was recuperating in a chamber of Ren Shou Hall, nursing his face."

"'Ninth brother, I’ve been tormented by that vile woman Deng my whole life. Please spare me this once. Look at me, of such age and now disfigured, the Khitan princess surely won’t fancy me. The twenty-first brother is young and unmarried; you might consider having him marry the Khitan princess.' At this point, Prince Guangling, Zhang Yi, had no choice but to offer up his younger brother."

"'Elder brother, the twenty-first brother is only eight years old. Do you really want him to marry now? Doesn’t your conscience hurt?'"

"'No,'"

"Prince Guangling shook his head, searching for a justification, 'In times of need, younger siblings should bear the burden.'"

"The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this, 'Elder brother, during your studies, you loved to sleep in class and returned all your learning to our former teacher at Ren Ben Hall. It's ‘students bear the labor in times of need,’ not 'younger siblings.'"

"'It’s nearly the same. With twenty-one brothers, sixteen of us survived, and the twenty-first is the youngest, the only one yet to marry,' Prince Guangling lamented."

"The youngest, Prince Changshan, Zhang Heng, was twelve years younger than the twentieth brother."

"Since the death of their imperial grandmother, Zhang Heng, born to Consort Xu, the Emperor's favored mother, had been doted on. After her death and posthumous honor as Empress Wenzhen, Consort Guo fortuitously gave birth to Zhang Heng four years later, the last child of their father."

"'Mao Tuan, Mao Tuan, come out!' The crisp voice of a child calling echoed, followed by a responding meow from the courtyard. A pure white lion cat darted out from a corner, rushing to the child’s feet."

"The child joyfully bent down to pick up the cat."

"Seeing a flash of red accompanying the child, the Emperor hastened to leave, but Prince Guangling, leaning on a pillow, caught his sleeve, 'Is this your Fourth Prince? You actually let him keep a cat in the Qianyuan Hall? That’s quite indulgent.' His tone was certain."

"Though far in his fief, he knew that since the Crown Prince's death, the Emperor's favorite son had been the Fourth Prince, Zhang Ji, whose mother was the newly honored Yuan Fei, Zhu Yan. Knowing Zhu Yan’s favor in the palace, and with the precedent set by Consort Xu, Zhang Ji’s future was promising. It was time for him to acquaint himself with the prince."

"'I'll accompany Your Majesty to meet the Fourth Prince.'"

"'Elder brother, with your current dignified appearance, don’t frighten my Fourth Prince.'"

"The Emperor's gaze lingered on Prince Guangling's face, shaking his head, 'Elder brother, you should stay inside and heal. The royal physician said that to heal your face quickly, you mustn’t go outside and catch the wind. You surely can’t meet the ministers and our uncles and brothers on the New Year's Day with your face like this.'"

"Unfortunately, Prince Guangling, Zhang Yi, wasn't one to heed advice."

"'Father!' Zhang Ji, hearing footsteps, looked up and called out to his father. But seeing the person behind his father, he froze in shock. The face was a mix of green, purple, and swollen red spots, old and new injuries overlapped, terrifyingly gruesome, 'Who hit his face?'"

"'He fell on his own,'"

"The Emperor glanced back at Zhang Yi, then picked up his son, 'Tian Tian, call him Third Uncle.'"

"'Third Uncle,' Zhang Ji obediently called out, but seeing the frightening smile of his Third Uncle, he clutched Mao Tuan tightly in his arms and quickly turned to look for his mother."

"Zhu Yan, who had come to Ren Shou Hall with her son to play with the cat, didn’t expect an outsider to be there. She glanced at the visitor, then lowered her head slightly, 'Your Majesty, since there are guests here, Tian Tian and I will leave first.'"

"'No need, you two go to the main hall. He'll be leaving soon,' the Emperor quickly said. The main hall of Ren Shou Hall had been prepared in advance with warm fires, anticipating Zhu Yan and her son's visit."

"Zhu Yan moved to take her son, but the Emperor said, 'Tian Tian is too heavy, I'll carry him to the main hall.'"

"'I'm not heavy,' Zhang Ji protested upon hearing this."

"The Emperor held him still, soothingly saying, 'Alright, you're not heavy, it’s the cat.' As he spoke, Mao Tuan in Zhang Ji's arms meowed twice, as if in protest. Zhang Ji quickly petted its neck, pouting, 'Father, Mao Tuan is not heavy either.'"

"'So, will you carry it yourself to the main hall, or shall I carry you there?' the Emperor gave his son two options."

"'I'll go by myself.'"

"Hearing this, the Emperor immediately put his son down. The child, just like his mother, had a strong temperament. Since returning, he had been reluctant to be held by him, and the Emperor didn’t want to force him. He knew his own son needed gentle coaxing."

"Zhu Yan stepped forward to touch her son’s right shoulder, nodded slightly to Prince Guangling, Zhang Yi, and then led her son to the main hall."

"As a first-rank prince, Prince Guangling held a high status, but since her appointment as a consort, Zhu Yan found the greatest benefit was that, apart from the Emperor and Empress Liu, she didn't need to bow to anyone else."

"In private, she often acted casually and informally in the Emperor's presence."

"Additionally, as she disliked interacting with the other consorts in the harem and since the Emperor had excused her from the bi-monthly visits to the Empress, her encounters with Empress Liu were already scarce. Even when they did meet, their good relationship meant Empress Liu never demanded full formalities from her."

"After Zhu Yan and her son entered the main hall, the Emperor let down the curtains at the doorway and turned back to Prince Guangling, 'Elder brother, leave the palace immediately and return to your residence.'"

"Coming back to his senses, Prince Guangling asked in surprise, 'No, Ninth Brother, didn’t you say I should stay here to recuperate?'"

"'Your face has already been exposed to the wind; what’s there to recuperate? If you must, go back to your own residence.'"

"'Your Majesty, Ninth Brother, my dear brother,'"

"In his urgency, Prince Guangling’s calls grew increasingly fervent and emotional, his voice echoing with desperation."

"He, along with his uncles Prince Qinghe and Prince Liaoyang, had discussed how to persuade the Emperor to agree to their divorces from the Deng family women. Their plan was for Prince Guangling to appeal to brotherly affection, Prince Qinghe to offer the Emperor a beauty, and Prince Liaoyang to present a fine horse from Liaoyang."

"However, after meeting Yuan Fei, Zhu Yan, he had to admit that the beauty Prince Qinghe planned to present might be ineffective."

"He wondered if Zhu Yan would be jealous."

"If Zhu Yan was as jealous as Consort Xu during the former Emperor's reign, Prince Qinghe’s offering might backfire."

"Desperate, Prince Guangling pleaded, 'Dear brother, as long as you agree to my divorce, I'll leave right now.'"

"'I've always agreed to your divorce,' the Emperor said coolly, glancing at Prince Guangling. He had already stated that divorce was possible, but after divorcing the Deng women, any future wives they took would not be officially recognized by the court, 'You all need to think this through carefully.'"

"Prince Guangling, Zhang Yi, had no sons with his wife, Lady Deng."

"However, his two royal uncles did have legitimate sons, some even more than one. Now that the matter with the Deng family was resolved, the Emperor didn’t wish to pursue past issues or create unnecessary complications."

"As princes holding fiefs, they ought to contribute in some way."

"'Prince Qi, Zhang Han, assaulted his elder brother and uncles. I will address this for you and the two uncles by reducing his lands as punishment and issuing a warning from the Directorate of the Imperial Clan.' As the Emperor spoke, his expression turned serious and earnest, lacking his earlier joviality."

"Prince Guangling feared his ninth brother the most when he wore a stern face. A serious expression meant no room for negotiation, which is why he tried to lighten the mood earlier."

"After sending Prince Guangling away, the Emperor turned and headed for the main hall. As he lifted the felt curtain, a wave of warmth greeted him. He entered, removing his fur coat and handing it to Xing En who followed him in, then gestured for him to leave. Looking up, he saw Zhu Yan lounging comfortably on a couch in front of a four-panel screen, their son, Zhang Ji, feeding the lion cat."

"'Zhu Yan, I remember you once envied the Dowager of Liaoyang. Do you know that she died young from grief and frustration?' the Emperor sat beside Zhu Yan and spoke."

"Zhu Yan paused, surprised by this information not recorded in history books. History only mentioned Prince Liaoyang being enfeoffed at four and his mother leaving the palace early to become the Dowager, 'How did that happen?'"

"So far from the capital, far from the deep palace, how could she still die of grief?"

"'She did leave the palace early,'"

"the Emperor explained slowly: 'But when Prince Liaoyang was twelve, the Empress Dowager arranged his marriage to a Deng lady. By then, the late Emperor had passed, and the Empress Dowager, now the Dowager, allowed the Deng family to flourish. The Dowager of Liaoyang, under her daughter-in-law’s control, died of grief within two years, only thirty years old.'"

"That’s why, after the Deng family's downfall, Prince Liaoyang still insisted on divorcing his Deng wife despite having two legitimate sons."

"'Isn’t our dynasty governed by filial piety?' Zhu Yan found it unbelievable that a daughter-in-law could dominate her mother-in-law in such an environment."

"The Emperor scoffed, 'A stepmother is also a form of filial piety. In the eyes of upright officials, a stepmother is more important than a birth mother, especially with power backing her.' That’s why he dared to dethrone the Dowager only after two years of planning, despite having an imperial edict from the late Emperor giving him free rein and holding such an advantage."

"'Why are you suddenly talking about this with me?' Zhu Yan frowned, not believing the Emperor would let her leave the palace early with her son."

"'I just want to tell you, rather than dreaming about being a Dowager of a princely state, it’s better to hope that I live long. With my protection, you can act freely without worrying about anyone in the world.'"

"Zhu Yan rubbed her forehead with her left hand, avoiding the Emperor's gaze, her eyelids slightly drooping. The story of the Dowager of Liaoyang indeed shocked her, but she preferred to trust Empress Liu rather than the Emperor. However, she couldn’t voice this thought."

"This morning, a messenger from Consort Chu Li of Qingyang Palace came to Fuhua Palace, saying she wished to see me. I declined."

The dog Emperor, clearly dissatisfied with Zhu Yan's abrupt change of subject, asked irritably, "Has she recovered from her illness?"

"No, she's bedridden and hoped I would visit Qingyang Palace, but I didn’t go."

"You did the right thing by not going. Your health isn't great to begin with, and with her being ill for so long, you shouldn’t risk catching her illness. Besides, you two never had interactions before; her sudden request to see you surely means no good." In the dog Emperor's eyes, Consort Chu Li was as good as dead.

"I heard from the Empress that she’s seriously ill and has been wanting to see Your Majesty. Haven’t you visited her?"

The dog Emperor stared at Zhu Yan for a while before countering, "Do you wish for me to visit her?"

To say she wasn’t jealous, she could quarrel with him over Zhu Erniang entering the palace, or sulk and refuse to return to the capital because he slept with a beauty. Yet, to say she was jealous, she seemed indifferent to his visits to Empress Liu and other consorts.

Sometimes, he found it hard to understand Ayan.

"Whether Your Majesty visits her or not is your concern, not mine," Zhu Yan replied coldly. Ever since Consort Chu Li fell ill, the dog Emperor had never set foot in Qingyang Palace, with only Empress Liu attending to her. Hearing this, Zhu Yan felt a chill in her heart.

Consort Chu Li was once favored and loved by him.

Now fallen from grace, she couldn’t even get a meeting.

Author's note: