Chapter 156

Chapter 156

Not counting the night he returned to the capital, Prince Qing had already been confined to his residence for nine days.

When questioned by the Emperor, Prince Qing truly believed that the canal in Liangzhou had been destroyed—and that it was his maternal grandfather, Shen Shiyan, who had orchestrated it. That was why the Emperor berated, interrogated, and even kicked him. When he saw Zheng Yuanzhen at the palace gates, distraught, her face marked by tears and the imprint of a slap on her cheek, he assumed his cousin had been punished first for his mistakes.

Only after boarding the carriage, where Zheng Yuanzhen knelt beside him and begged him to intercede for her aunt for the sake of their son, did Prince Qing realize with horror that he had fallen into the trap in the Emperor’s words due to his own preconceptions. He had unwittingly exposed his own malicious thoughts—when in truth, neither he nor his grandfather had anything to do with the matter. It was Grand Princess Fucheng, that self-important, scheming woman, who had caused him to be kicked twice by the Emperor, costing him the Emperor’s trust entirely. And Zheng Yuanzhen’s slap? That had come from his own mother!

At that moment, Prince Qing was also consumed by rage and raised his hand to strike Zheng Yuanzhen.

But then, from the carriage behind them where the wet nurse sat, came the sudden cries of their son.

Looking at Zheng Yuanzhen’s tear-streaked face, Prince Qing faltered, and he slumped back onto the carriage seat, defeated.

What would hitting her accomplish? Would it stop the Emperor from blaming him?

If it had only been the Grand Princess who had dug up the canal, he might have been able to distance himself. But he, too, had once considered the same act—and the Emperor knew.

So, he was finished. Any hope of becoming Crown Prince was gone. He might not even be able to keep his current princely rank.

If striking his cousin could undo all this, Prince Qing would have done it without hesitation. But it wouldn’t change anything. So what was the point?

Upon returning to his residence, Prince Qing shut himself away in the front courtyard, refusing to see anyone. He spun in circles of futile thought, but all were fruitless.

It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon, when the Emperor sent a eunuch to order him to attend the Dragon Boat Festival banquet with his wife and child—in good spirits, and to avoid all other topics—that Prince Qing fell to his knees, weeping with abandon. The Emperor still cared for him. He still cared!

As in previous years, the dragon boat races and willow-shooting contests were held before the banquet.

For the first time in such a setting, Yao Huang felt like she was perched on hot coals.

Because she was still seated between Chen Ying and Zheng Yuanzhen—Chen Ying on her left, radiant with pregnancy, and Zheng Yuanzhen on her right, radiating despair.

Yao Huang was all too familiar with that aura. Prince Hui had been the same way when they first married. But Prince Hui was her husband—if she chose to humor him, she would; if not, she could stroll the gardens alone. No one else would be the wiser. But now, with Zheng Yuanzhen beside her, how heartless would she seem, laughing and chatting as if nothing were wrong? What would Zheng Yuanzhen think? What would the Emperor and Empress, seated nearby, think?

Yet sitting there doing nothing made Yao Huang unbearably uncomfortable.

Cautiously, she retreated into her thoughts.

So many imperial relatives had attended—yet Grand Princess Fucheng was noticeably missing. Combined with Prince Qing and his wife’s hollow demeanor, and the imperial consorts’ refusal to even mention the Grand Princess, what had the couple done to anger Emperor Yongchang? Was their claim of illness merely a cover for their loss of favor?

Grand Princess Fucheng was Emperor Yongchang’s own sister—just as Yao Huang was her own brother’s sister.

The bond was close, but Yao Huang had once heard a saying: *The imperial court knows no father or son.*

If fathers and sons in the royal family could turn on each other, what of siblings?

From the rumors she’d heard in teahouses or the stories she’d read, had Grand Princess Fucheng oppressed the common people? Or colluded with officials for corruption?

Rebellion seemed unlikely—the Grand Princess and the Marquis of Jining held no military power. And rebellion wouldn’t warrant mere house arrest.

Whatever had frightened Prince Qing and his wife so badly must have been serious. But since Emperor Yongchang still allowed them to attend the banquet, perhaps it wasn’t dire?

Lost in thought, the dragon boat races concluded. Five teams had competed—one from each of the four capital garrisons and one from the Imperial Guard. Only the winning team would be summoned before the Emperor for rewards.

This year’s victors were from the Northern Garrison—twenty-two men, all broad-shouldered and imposing.

Glad for the diversion, Yao Huang craned her neck for a better look. But as she did, her eyes strayed—and locked with Prince Hui’s, who was seated not far from Emperor Yongchang.

The twenty-two elite soldiers from the Northern Camp rowed a full lap around the moat, their faces reddened from exertion. Seated beside Prince Hui, Prince Kang and Prince Qing had spent a month at Lingshan, their skin bronzed like wheat. With faces either red or dark, they unintentionally made Prince Hui look even paler and more striking.

Yao Huang secretly winked at Prince Hui.

Prince Hui silently avoided her gaze.

Yao Huang smiled and continued studying the twenty-two rugged faces, watching as Eunuch Wang handed a tray of gold ingots to the leading helmsman.

Once the rewards were handed out, it was time for the willow-shooting contest.

Emperor Yongchang suddenly looked at his four sons. "Will you all give it a try this year?"

The Fourth Prince, now fifteen, had participated in the previous year's hunt at the Northern Park.

Prince Kang immediately stood up, leading the way in expressing his willingness to perform before his father, even if he’d embarrass himself.

Emperor Yongchang waved his hand with a smile, signaling them to proceed.

Prince Kang turned and grasped the handles of his second brother’s wheelchair. Ramps had been added to both sides of the high platform’s steps two years prior, and the red sandalwood wheelchair his brother now used was also lightweight.

Just to be safe, as the wheelchair reached the top of the ramp, Prince Kang shot Prince Qing a glance, urging him to walk ahead in case the wheelchair slipped and rolled away.

Prince Qing shuffled forward like a zombie, while the Fourth Prince, eyeing him shrewdly, positioned himself on the opposite side of the ramp’s steps.

Second Brother was done for, Third Brother seemed on the verge of ruin, and Eldest Brother was too dull—perhaps there was still a chance for him?

The Fourth Prince had never entertained such thoughts before, but now it seemed as though fate itself was handing him the throne. Of course, he would seize the opportunity.

Soon after, the four brothers came back up, standing side by side along the moat’s edge.

Yao Huang snuck a glance at Emperor Yongchang.

The emperor caught his second daughter-in-law’s furtive look and chuckled, telling the two princesses, "If you wish to watch, you may all move to the front."

With the emperor’s permission, Yao Huang helped Chen Ying to her feet. Since Zheng Yuanzhen never bothered with such spectacles, she saw no need to invite her. Instead, she accompanied Chen Ying and the two princesses to the railing, looking down on the contest.

The Second Princess teased, "Second Brother’s a shoo-in to win again. When he claims his reward later, will Second Sister-in-law share a gold ingot with me?"

Yao Huang laughed. "If that happens, I’ll think of it as an early wedding present for each of you sisters."

The Eldest Princess, due to marry on the ninth, blushed instantly.

At the sound of the drum, the willow-shooting began.

Yao Huang’s gaze followed Prince Hui’s arrow as it blew apart most of the gourd tied to the willow branch across the moat, just as it had two years prior.

A white pigeon burst into flight.

Yao Huang smirked, while the Eldest and Second Princesses laughed. Chen Ying, watching Prince Kang successfully pierce his gourd and the slightly slower but equally soaring pigeon, was thrilled for her husband. After all, Prince Hui’s archery prowess was expected, but Prince Kang managing to hit the target was a pleasant surprise.

Chen Ying also knew Prince Kang wouldn’t sulk over losing to Prince Hui in archery.

Sure enough, Prince Kang soon approached Prince Hui to congratulate him.

The Eldest Princess teased Yao Huang, "Why isn’t Second Sister-in-law going down to greet Second Brother this year?"

The old tease made Yao Huang blush. Back then, she had been excited because she hadn’t known Prince Hui could be so formidable even in a wheelchair. Now that she was well aware of his many talents, running down now would be overkill.

The four women returned to their seats. Soon after, the four brothers came back up—only Prince Hui had claimed first place, while the second and third spots went to officers Yao Huang didn’t recognize.

Fei Quan accepted the tray bearing twenty small gold ingots on Prince Hui's behalf.

Just as everyone thought the willow-shooting ceremony was over and the imperial procession was about to head to the grand hall for the banquet, Emperor Yongchang exchanged a meaningful look with Eunuch Wang.

Eunuch Wang then stepped forward in front of the dais and announced loudly, "By imperial decree, all officials are summoned to the imperial presence to hear the proclamation!"

The dais was occupied entirely by imperial relatives. As the eunuchs' voices echoed from the dais to the ground below, the civil and military officials seated at banquet tables at ground level on both sides quickly rose and, in an orderly manner, arranged themselves according to rank before swiftly making their way over. They eventually formed orderly rows beneath the high platform, just as they would during court deliberations.

Emperor Yongchang stepped forward, sweeping his gaze over the assembled officials. His eyes lingered briefly on the face of Xu Dongyang, a seventh-rank magistrate standing in the back row. He then picked up a knotted, tawny root from a tray held by a young eunuch beside him and extended it over the edge of the platform for the officials to see. "This is Huang Jing, also known as Solomon's seal. It nourishes Yin energy and replenishes Qi, strengthens the spleen, and moistens the lungs. It can be processed into medicine or directly stewed in soup. In the common market, three-year cultivated Huang Jing sells for a hundred coins per catty, while properly dried and prepared Huang Jing can fetch five or six taels of silver per catty..."

Those who guessed whom Emperor Yongchang was about to praise had already turned their gazes toward Xu Dongyang in the back.

Yao Huang maintained a demure posture, knowing Prince Hui had no desire to steal the spotlight.

Emperor Yongchang set down the Huang Jing and looked down at his officials. "Our Great Qi Empire is vast and bountiful, with countless such mountain treasures. Some grow only in primeval forests and cannot be cultivated, requiring commoners to risk broken bones to gather them. Others, like this Huang Jing, can be widely promoted among the people if only someone with an observant mind takes the effort to investigate."

"You must have all heard of Xu Dongyang's efforts to cultivate Huang Jing in Lingshan. I know some of you may think I show him undue favor. In the past, officials who discovered iron or gold mines were not summoned to the capital for personal audience and commendation. But that is because mines are rare, while mountain treasures and medicinal herbs are common. I commend Xu Dongyang not just for his achievements, but for his sincere devotion to the people's welfare!"

"I am the emperor. The vast land is mine, and the people upon it are also my people. It is said that a wise ruler should love his people as his own children. Indeed, I have such a heart, but I am but one man. Even if I exhaust my entire life, I cannot personally tend to every corner of this land. That is why I, like all rulers before me, must select talented individuals from across the realm to serve as officials—to be my eyes and hands, to care for the common people on my behalf."

"Some officials take the court's salary with one hand while squeezing the people for wealth with the other, growing fat while remaining indifferent to the people's suffering."

"Then there are magistrates like Xu Dongyang, who see the hardships of commoners risking injury to gather herbs and recognize the benefits of bringing Huang Jing to market. Undaunted by peril, he climbed treacherous mountain paths to survey Huang Jing's natural habitat, then laboriously pioneered a means for the people to escape poverty. If all officials in the realm shared Xu Dongyang's sincere devotion to serving the people, why should I fear that the people would not prosper or that Great Qi would not flourish?"

At these words, the two chancellors immediately led the officials in kneeling and responded loudly, "We shall heed Your Majesty's teachings, holding the people's welfare in our hearts and sharing Your Majesty's burdens!"

While the officials knelt, Prince Kang, Prince Qing, and the fourth prince, standing behind Emperor Yongchang, also knelt.

The imperial consorts and noblewomen on the dais were not required to kneel, but Yao Huang found her heart stirred by the emperor's words. Forgetting all else, she gazed directly at Prince Hui, the true architect of the reclamation policy.

Zhao Sui sat alone in his wheelchair, eyes lowered.

Beside him, Prince Qing's expression darkened further. He finally understood that his father had summoned him to the palace not because his anger had subsided, but to force him to hear these words—to shame him for his heartlessness toward the people.

Prince Qing was filled with remorse. If only his father would forgive him, he would treat the common people as his own flesh and blood!

After a long silence, Emperor Yongchang bade everyone rise, then called into the distance, "Xu Dongyang, step forward. I shall reward you with four words."

Xu Dongyang, head bowed, walked from the back row to stand before the two chancellors, then knelt on both knees.

Two eunuchs who had been waiting nearby carried over a plaque. Eunuch Wang removed the red silk covering it on behalf of the emperor.

The civil and military officials craned their necks to see. On the black-lacquered plaque, bestowed by the emperor himself, were four resplendent, commanding characters in gold: "Single-Heartedly Serving the People!"