Chapter 182: Enfeoffment

Chapter 182: Coronation

Qiu Huanian asked, "Where are you going?"

Sixteen didn’t hide it, "Zhang County."

"Is it... for Chi Qing He?"

Sixteen nodded, "I have already reached an agreement with Li Ruicong's wife, Bai Chenghuan. She will find a way to remind Zao'er to 'remember' Chi Qing He at the right time and ensure that Li Ruicong conveys misleading information to the Chi Clan."

"The Chi Clan will inevitably send someone to capture Chi Qing He for confirmation. I will personally oversee Zhang County to ensure that what they capture is not Chi Qing He, but a prepared decoy."

Qiu Huanian followed the train of thought, "Let the decoy face the interrogation of the person in charge from the Chi Clan, so we can infiltrate their ranks and obtain the most confidential information. But isn't this too dangerous?"

"No risk, no reward."

Seeing Sixteen speak so calmly, Qiu Huanian felt a sense of foreboding, "Who is the decoy?"

"There are several candidates, all well-trained agents. The final decision will be made based on the actual situation."

Qiu Huanian stared straight at Sixteen, not letting him evade the question. Sixteen paused and then said, "...I am also a candidate. If the situation requires it, I will be captured by the Chi Clan as the decoy."

"Why?" Qiu Huanian took a deep breath.

"I am also an agent, and everything is for the smooth completion of the mission. Among all the agents under the Crown Prince, no one has better skills in disguise and stealth than me."

"Moreover, I am the agent who knows the most secrets, making it easier to deal with the Chi Clan, pick up on subtle clues, and obtain the desired information."

Sixteen patiently explained to Qiu Huanian, each point a carefully weighed best choice. However, Qiu Huanian did not relax. After Sixteen finished speaking, he said, "You’ve thought of everything, Uncle, except your own safety."

Sixteen was left speechless. Qiu Huanian continued, "Does the Crown Prince know about your plan?"

Sixteen looked puzzled, "The Crown Prince knows the overall plan. The task given to me is to ensure the smooth execution of the decoy plan, thereby obtaining intelligence from the Chi Clan. The rest is up to me, as usual."

"If even the specific details of completing the task need to be decided by the Crown Prince, what kind of subordinates would we be?"

"..." Qiu Huanian was left speechless.

Sixteen seemed to realize something and held Gu Gu and Yang Yang closer, clumsily comforting, "I’ve handled far riskier missions than this. This time, we have anticipated their moves and set up the plan in advance. I will come back alive."

After a long silence, Qiu Huanian asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Immediately, the others are already waiting outside the city."

Sixteen came this time to say goodbye, and Qiu Huanian realized this, feeling a pang of sadness.

Logically, he knew this was Sixteen’s duty, that Sixteen was highly skilled and would be safe. But seeing a loved one head into danger, who could resist feeling worried and distressed?

"Uncle, after the Crown Prince becomes emperor, will you ask him to clear the Mei Family’s name? At that time, will you leave the palace and live with us?"

Sixteen remained silent. Qiu Huanian took a deep breath and made up his mind, "No matter what you think, at that time, I will appeal to the new emperor as the orphan of the Mei Family to clear the case and ask him to release you from the palace."

"Given the merits and potential of Yun Se and me, I think we can achieve these two things."

"Huanian, don’t act rashly—" Sixteen was anxious.

"Either you tell me what really happened to the Mei Family back then and promise to leave the palace, or I will go ahead with this plan."

Qiu Huanian rarely showed such firmness, "Uncle, please give it some serious thought. We’ll talk about it again when you’re back."

...

Sixteen slipped out of the capital with his guards, unnoticed. Only the Crown Prince’s inner circle knew his whereabouts.

To throw people off Sixteen’s trail, the Crown Prince asked the Yuanhua Emperor to have the Ministry of Rites pick a Crown Princess and a concubine. Prince Jin also submitted a memorial to request the title of heir for his six-month-old firstborn son, who had narrowly survived.

The Yuanhua Emperor approved both memorials to the Ministry of Rites. At the same time, he made another shocking announcement.

—The Second Prince was enfeoffed as a prince.

"By the Emperor’s decree: The Second Prince, Jia Hongyi, is filial, diligent, and skilled in both civil and military affairs, having repeatedly achieved great merits. He is hereby enfeoffed as Prince Shen, bestowed with a golden robe and jade belt, double-eared flower feathers, and granted the privilege to walk within the inner court."

For a time, the capital buzzed with three big celebrations: the Crown Prince's grand wedding, the enfeoffment of Prince Shen, and the establishment of Prince Jin's heir. However, the tension among the officials and nobles was palpable. Many astute individuals realized that the tension was reaching its breaking point.

In the main hall of the Chang Le Palace in the Forbidden City, Noble Consort Wen heard the edict. When she heard the phrase "filial and diligent," she frowned slightly but quickly regained her composure.

The chief maid, Yan Lou, whispered a reminder, "Your Highness, the eunuch taking the edict to Prince Shen is about to leave. If you wish to send something to His Highness, you can take this opportunity."

Both Prince Shen and Prince Pingxian were at the northeastern border, one leading troops and the other investigating a case of embezzled military funds. Neither was currently in the capital.

"Open the treasury and pick out a princely gift set," Noble Consort Wen said indifferently, not bothering to check the gifts herself.

Even with her son’s new title, Noble Consort Wen didn’t seem happy. Yan Lou, accustomed to her mistress’s temperament, did not try to persuade her and instead had another chief maid select the gifts.

"This afternoon, the master will likely have the mistress enter the palace to offer congratulations and greetings to Your Highness. You should prepare."

Yan Lou meant Noble Consort Wen’s father, Minister of Personnel Bi Yongshi, and the mistress was her mother.

"Dealing with a tiger."

"What?"

Noble Consort Wen gently shook her head, as if she had not spoken at all.

She stood quietly in the spring sunlight for a while, "Yan Lou, go to the Kun Ning Palace and invite Noble Consort Kang. Tell her I’d like her to join me in the imperial garden this afternoon to see the flowers."

...

When Qiu Huanian heard about the Second Prince being enfeoffed, he instinctively stopped his work. He was working with Jiu Jiu to create a shampoo using ancient methods.

Most people in the Yu Dynasty used soapberries for bathing and washing hair. Richer families mixed soapberries with herbs and fragrant powders to make bath beans.

The recipes for bath beans were diverse, many being closely guarded secrets of the shops. The priciest bath beans cost several taels of silver per box. These everyday items were always popular, and the renowned bath bean shops in the capital were all making a fortune.

After carefully studying the cosmetic and jewelry shops in the capital, Jiu Jiu decided to start her business with bath beans, a subcategory of cosmetics.

"Face powder, rouge, and eyebrow ink are only used by women and young men, with daily usage being minimal. They also have their preferred shops. Even if Qiu's Six Staples started selling these, they might not necessarily buy them to try," Jiu Jiu explained her reasoning to Qiu Huanian.

"But bath beans are used by everyone, regardless of age or gender, and the consumption is high. Customers are more likely to buy a box to try. If people like our bath beans, we can sell other cosmetics too."

Jiu Jiu's reasoning was clear, and Qiu Huanian was very pleased. In his previous life, he had little knowledge of cosmetics, but after listening to Jiu Jiu, he recalled a recipe for a shampoo made from ancient materials.

Bath beans were already more convenient than soapberries, but for washing hair, the fine powdered pieces were still not as effective as shampoo. If Qiu's Six Staples started selling shampoo, it would undoubtedly be a game-changer for hair-washing bath beans.

Therefore, to distract himself, Qiu Huanian had been spending his free time researching and making shampoo with Jiu Jiu.

Seeing Qiu Huanian's unusual expression, Jiu Jiu stopped grinding the fleeceflower root and dismissed the servants, asking softly, "Brother Hua, is there something wrong with the Second Prince—Prince Shen being enfeoffed?"

Jiu Jiu had always been sharp and clever since she was a child, and after experiencing various events in the capital, she had developed a keen political sense.

She wasn’t the same little girl from Du Village anymore who would feel anxious and nervous upon hearing her neighbor's granddaughter, Bai Yuchuan, brag, "My father works for a prince in the capital."

Qiu Huanian’s expression was a mix of confusion and seriousness. "Prince Shen is stationed with the army at the border, and Prince Pingxian, who supports him, is also there. By granting him the title of prince at this moment, isn't the Emperor afraid he might amass military power and threaten the throne?"

When Du Yunse came back that evening, Qiu Huanian asked him this question.

Du Yunse, looking exhausted, untied his official robe and hung it on the clothes rack. Qiu Huanian handed him a cup of green plum tea, as drinking regular tea at night could easily cause insomnia.

"The Emperor is trying to maintain balance."

"Balance?"

"Only when the three princes hold equal power can the Emperor securely maintain his throne for a long time," Du Yunse said, gazing at the pale green surface of the tea in his cup. "But as the princes grow older, the Emperor himself is growing older, and this balance is becoming difficult to maintain."

The Yuanhua Emperor insisted on giving the second prince the title despite the risk of him amassing military power at the border, indicating that the power of the other princes made him uneasy.

Was it the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, or perhaps both?

A strong gust of wind blew outside, lifting light dust and scattered petals. The lamplight lit up the area by the door, quickly fading into the vast, dim courtyard.

Qiu Huanian realized that in areas he’d overlooked, numerous complex events were unfolding.

He glanced at Du Yunse, whose handsome face in the candlelight showed depth and calm.

"Huanian, do you remember what I told you back in Xiangping Prefecture?"

"What?"

"If you don’t want to sit around and be pushed around, you must fight for the Emperor’s favor. How can one not strive for such merit?"

After learning his husband had an unusual past, Du Yunse quietly changed his plans, escaping the Emperor’s control.

"Have you always known more than I have?"

Du Yunse gently took Qiu Huanian's hand and said solemnly, "Brother Hua, do you know about Prince Fen’s rebellion twenty years ago?"

...

The atmosphere in the capital had been tense recently. Min Leyi, on his elder brother’s advice, hadn’t left the house in days and was so bored he felt like he was growing moss.

His sister-in-law, Ren Suyin, had just had a baby, so the house had to stay quiet. Min Leyi could only hide in his room, flipping through books without absorbing a single word.

At that moment, Hu Fu leaned in close to Min Leyi, speaking in a hushed tone.

"Brother! Someone is looking for you outside!"

"Looking for me?" Min Leyi was puzzled. "Specifically for me? Who is it?"

Hu Fu whispered mysteriously, "It's General Wu Shen. He said he wants to discuss something important with you!"