Chapter 34: A Fine Performance

Chapter 34: A Fine Performance

At the court assembly the following day, Zhu Yunxuan encountered the Minister of Works whom Liang Zhen had mentioned. His name was Zhou Jian, a man in his early thirties, known for his eloquence and unconventional character. Despite it being his first appearance at court, he displayed no trace of nervousness. During the debate, he maintained a composed demeanor with a confident air, presenting his ideas with remarkable clarity and coherence. Even Zhu Yunxuan couldn't help but regard him with a degree of admiration.

Notably, the plan he presented for redirecting the river was far more meticulous than what Liang Zhen had proposed the previous day. It took into account various internal and external factors, as well as the right timing and geographical advantages. Detailed calculations were also provided, indicating that it was the result of careful, long-term planning, rather than a spontaneous idea.

Indeed, Zhu Yunxuan was swayed. With the treasury now well-stocked, such a grand and labor-intensive endeavor would be worth attempting. However, before he could express his thoughts, a group of civil officials, led by Zeng Huai, immediately voiced their opposition, declaring it a deceitful pursuit of fame at the expense of the nation and its people.

Zhou Jian engaged in a verbal duel with numerous formidable opponents alone, with Liang Zhen occasionally chiming in with a supportive remark or two, neither of them showing any sign of weakness. Eventually, Zhu Yunxuan, growing weary of the debate, simply announced the end of the court session.

Zeng Hua was left alone, witnessing Zhu Yunxuan's troubled expression and furrowed brows. He earnestly pleaded, "Your Majesty, you must not be swayed by Prince Zhao. His grandiose promises with that Minister of Works sound captivating but are overly risky and radical. Changing the course of the Yellow River is no simple task. Should anything go awry during the process, the loss would extend far beyond mere silver; countless innocent lives might be at stake!"

Zhu Yunxuan disagreed, "Teacher, Prince Zhao and the others do have a point. If there's a chance to solve the problem once and for all, it's a risk worth taking. Even if it requires immense effort and time, I wish to give it a try."

"Ease and permanence are not as simple as they claim, Your Majesty. They promise a century of security, but who can truly attest that it's not an exaggeration? Such an immense and costly endeavor, with its intricate web of dependencies, could lead to disastrous consequences if even a single element goes awry. You must not blindly trust their assurances, Your Majesty!"

"Nothing ever happens overnight," Zhu Yunxuan said, shaking his head. "I'll give it more thought."

Zeng Huai knelt on the ground with reddened eyes, "Your Majesty, my ancestors hailed from Qin State, but heaven and earth can bear witness that in opposing this matter, I have not a single selfish motive. It's because I spent the first twenty years of my life by the Qin State river. I understand the hearts of the people there. They both fear and revere that river. For generations, they have lived by its banks, relying on it for their livelihood and prosperity. Their ancestral halls stand there, their forefathers rest there, and that is where their roots lie! King Zhao wishes to uproot them, thinking that mere silver will persuade them to leave willingly. If it were truly so simple, no one would risk their lives to return to their homeland after surviving a flood!"

Zhu Yunxuan stepped forward, gently lifting the person with both hands. "Why are you doing this, Minister? We can discuss this matter further. I haven't agreed to the Prince of Zhao's proposal yet."

Zeng Huai wept, "Your Majesty, I am not forcing you. It's just that the Prince of Zhao is cunning and has malicious intentions. I would never wish for you to be deceived by him!"

"But..."

"The Prince of Zhao holds military power and is now interfering in your governance. His intentions are treacherous. Your Majesty, you mustn't fall for his tricks!"

"I understand... Minister, please rise. We will postpone further discussion on this matter."

After Zeng Huai left, Liang Zhen entered, sitting down in the chair with an air of authority. He smiled at Zhu Yunxuan and asked, "Why does Your Majesty look so displeased? When I encountered Lord Zeng just now, he seemed troubled as well. I suspect he was trying to persuade you with emotional appeals and logical arguments, insisting that you ignore my reckless words and their potential harm to the country?"

Zhu Yunxuan glanced at him sideways and scoffed, "Since you know everything, what else is there to say?"

"Did he also accuse me of having a wolfish heart, planning to create trouble and manipulate you?"

Zhu Yunxuan's silence was a tacit admission.

Liang Zhen laughed heartily. "Just wait and see, Your Majesty. What Lord Zeng did is nothing compared to the unexpected dramas that are yet to unfold."

"...What does Prince Zhao mean by that? What have you done now?"

Liang Zhen smiled and shook his head without answering, changing the subject instead. "Your Majesty, please don't worry about other matters for now. Your health is of utmost importance, and you need more rest. Dr. Fang just mentioned to this minister that you haven't been sleeping well or having much of an appetite lately. The fetus in your womb is also smaller than expected. Even if not for the child, for your own sake, you must eat and sleep more, so as not to exhaust yourself."

Zhu Yunxuan replied coldly, "I am well aware of my own body, and I do not need Prince Zhao's concern."

Liang Zhen narrowed his eyes, gazing deeply at him. After a moment, he let out a helpless smile, stepped forward, and embraced Zhu Yunxuan with one arm.

Zhu Yunxuan's expression turned alert as he looked at Liang Zhen warily. "What are you trying to do?"

Liang Zhen's hand gently touched Zhu Yunxuan's abdomen. It had been almost five months, but due to the thick clothing, the pregnancy was not immediately noticeable visually. However, Liang Zhen could feel the distinct bulge when he touched it. He chuckled softly and said, "That old fellow is so concerned about Your Majesty, working tirelessly for you. Hasn't he noticed that you are carrying a child and should not be overexerting yourself? He claims to have Your Majesty's best interests at heart, yet he fails to show empathy and insists on making things difficult for you."

Suppressing his irritation, Zhu Yunxuan sternly warned, "Remove your hand."

Liang Zhen ignored him and lifted Zhu Yunxuan into his arms, striding toward the inner chamber. "Your Majesty looks unwell. How many hours did you sleep last night? It's still early, so conserve your energy. Rest a little more."

"Put me down."

"No."

Laid in bed, Zhu Yunxuan found himself unable to sleep, his eyes wide open, gazing at the ceiling beam above, his gaze somewhat distant.

Liang Zhen leaned beside him, holding the man in his arms, and whispered, "What is on the emperor's mind?"

Zhu Yunxuan remained silent, and Liang Zhen didn't mind. His hand once again landed on the man's abdomen, gently caressing it. The life inside seemed to sense his touch, bumping into the spot where Liang Zhen's hand was. Liang Zhen raised an eyebrow with a smile. "He's actually moving?"

Closing his eyes, Zhu Yunxuan turned his head away in embarrassment. Liang Zhen found this amusing. The child in Zhu Yunxuan's belly kept chasing after his hand, colliding forcefully, an experience he had never had before, making it all the more novel.

"Does he often move like this?"

Zhu Yunxuan bit his lip. Since the fourth month and a half, he could feel the distinct movements of the fetus, but he had never offered any comfort or acknowledgment to the child, trying desperately to ignore its existence. But deceiving others couldn't deceive himself; there was a living being in his womb, a child he neither wanted nor cared to admit, yet there it was, growing stronger each day.

Seeing the slight reddening of Zhu Yunxuan's eyes, Liang Zhen was momentarily stunned. He bent down and kissed under the emperor's eyelids. "Relax, Your Majesty. Everything will work out eventually. Perhaps you'll come to love the child once he's born? Or would you like to feel for yourself?"

Liang Zhen captured his hand, guiding it to the swollen abdomen. The life inside reacted even more vigorously, kicking forcefully to assert its presence. Zhu Yunxuan's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Liang Zhen chuckled softly by his ear. "He indeed prefers Your Majesty."

The other hand hanging by Zhu Yunxuan's side gradually clenched, his teeth gritted, yet he remained silent.

In no time, Zhu Yunxuan understood what Liang Zhen meant by unforeseen circumstances. He had assumed that only the cabinet and the scholars from the Hanlin Academy would oppose the river diversion project. Unexpectedly, a group of nobles led by Prince Xian also intervened, presenting several solemn memorials, fiercely criticizing the proposal as going against nature and inviting retribution. They even accused the Minister of Works, Zhou Jian, of spreading false information and harboring malicious intentions, earnestly requesting the emperor to dismiss him for clarification.

Listening to Prince Xian's bombastic speech and veiled insults on the imperial court, Zhu Yunxuan's face was as calm as still water. His gaze slowly swept over the ministers below the steps, but not a single one dared to refute. Most were in agreement with Prince Xian or simply remained indifferent. Among the military officers, Liang Zhen alone smiled cheerfully, his sleeves folded, as if he were enjoying a performance at a theater.

When Prince Xian finished his heated accusations, flushed red, the grand hall fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, an inspector from the Board of Censors emerged from the crowd and declared, "Your subject has a petition!"

Zhu Yunxuan glanced at Liang Zhen instinctively. Seeing that his smile remained unchanged, seemingly unsurprised, he knew this was the well-orchestrated drama Liang Zhen had prepared for him. He spoke in a solemn voice, "What do you have to say?"

"I accuse Prince Xian of abusing his power for personal gain, seizing large tracts of land along the Yellow River, encroaching upon peasant fields, and arbitrarily increasing taxes, causing widespread resentment and suffering among the people. I implore Your Majesty to investigate this matter!"

The entire hall erupted in an uproar. Prince Xian was taken aback, then angrily retorted, "You ingrate, stop spouting nonsense and slandering this prince! This is utterly baseless!"

Undaunted, the inspector held his ground, "Every word I speak is the truth, without a single falsehood. I beg Your Majesty to see through it!"

"You—!"

"Whether it's true or not, dispatching an imperial envoy to investigate will reveal the truth," Liang Zhen interjected calmly. "If there is truly nothing to it, why would Prince Xian, who usually shows no interest in court affairs, hastily present a petition to block the river diversion proposal? At first, I found it peculiar, but now it seems Prince Xian fears his land seizures might come to light."

Silence descended upon the grand hall after Liang Zhen's words, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. The nobles who had supported Prince Xian earlier now looked guiltily around, avoiding Liang Zhen's gaze. Prince Xian's eyes bulged in rage, glaring fiercely at Liang Zhen as he puffed out his cheeks, "It was you! You planned everything today! You're deliberately trying to harm this prince!"

"If Prince Xian is truly innocent, no one can harm you," Liang Zhen said seriously, stepping forward towards Zhu Yunxuan. "Given the situation, since Prince Xian claims he is unjustly accused, I request Your Majesty to issue an edict for a thorough investigation. This way, we can vindicate Prince Xian's name."

Zhu Yunxuan's expression turned cold, and he immediately issued an imperial edict, dispatching a royal envoy to depart at once to uncover the truth.

Half a month later, the envoy returned to the capital to report. All witnesses and evidence were in order, implicating more than ten prominent aristocrats and high-ranking officials, led by Prince Xiao, in the seizure of tens of thousands of acres of civilian land. The name of Chief Minister Zeng Huai was prominently included among them.