Chapter 60

Chapter 60

After a snowfall, Emperor Xingwu decided to stay in Jizhou for four days.

For the first three days, Qingyang spent time with her imperial father. On the last day, during breakfast, Qingyang asked her eldest and second brothers, "Third Brother and I are going to the market later to buy gifts for Mother and the other ladies. Would you like to come?"

It’s the thought that counts. Every time they stopped in a major city along the journey, Qingyang would buy unique and exquisite trinkets as gifts to bring back to the capital.

Qin Hong glanced at his father.

Emperor Xingwu said, "Go ahead if you wish. I won’t be going out today."

Qin Hong accepted his sister’s invitation.

Qin Bing grumbled, "If all of you are giving gifts, wouldn’t it seem like I haven’t been thinking of Mother if I don’t?"

Qingyang replied, "Noble Consort may not care for your gifts, but what about Meng Yao?"

Suddenly teased by his sister about his marriage prospects, Qin Bing felt awkward and started shoveling food into his mouth.

After the meal, since the Third Prince and Qingyang were dressed in simple cloth garments, Qin Hong and Qin Bing, who were wearing silk, returned to their rooms to change, so the four of them wouldn’t look out of place together.

Qingyang took her Third Brother to wait in front of the official courier station. Passing by the courtyard where the Zhang father and sons were staying, Qingyang stopped and asked her Third Brother to call Zhang Su out.

Not wanting to take up too much of Zhang Su’s time with his father and brothers, Qingyang only had one question: "Since Duke Zhang rushed here from Liaozhou, did he prepare any gifts for you to bring back to the capital?"

Zhang Su thought for a moment and said, "No."

Qingyang said, "Duke Zhang probably didn’t expect His Majesty to let him continue as the Liaozhou Commander. Remind him to take advantage of today’s free time to buy a gift. Even if he can’t return to the capital himself, sending a gift will make your mother happy."

Having experienced separation from her own mother, Qingyang now understood the pain of long-term separation between Marquis Weiyuan, Meng Ji, and his wife. While she couldn’t intervene in the affairs of other soldiers, she had attended two Zhang family weddings, and Lady Xu had always treated her with kindness and warmth. Qingyang wanted to bring some comfort to Lady Xu, who couldn’t reunite with her husband for the time being.

"You can go back in. We’re off."

Zhang Su stood at the courtyard gate, watching the little princess and the Third Prince walk away before turning back to their temporary quarters.

Zhang Jie, Zhang Jian, and Zhang Heng were sitting in the main hall. Seeing his younger brother return, Zhang Heng asked curiously, "Didn’t the Third Prince ask you to go out?"

He knew the two princes liked to invite their third brother to go shopping with them.

Zhang Su replied, "All four royal siblings are going together today."

Zhang Heng asked, "Then what was that about just now?"

Zhang Su glanced at his father, who was seated in the place of honor, but hesitated to speak.

Zhang Jie asked, "Did the Third Prince have any instructions?"

Avoiding his father’s gaze, Zhang Su said quietly, "It was the princess. She guessed that Father rushed to Jizhou in too much of a hurry and told me to remind you to take advantage of today’s free time to prepare a gift for Mother, so we can bring it back with us tomorrow."

Hearing this, Zhang Jian and Zhang Heng both looked at their father.

Zhang Jie said, "...Since the princess is so concerned about your mother, I will go into town later."

Zhang Heng said, "I’ll accompany Father." He had also forgotten to prepare a gift for his wife.

.

On the way back to the capital, Emperor Xingwu was not idle. He stayed for two days in each major city they passed, reviewing matters of agriculture, litigation, and public works. Additionally, he made impromptu incognito inspections. Whenever he heard from the people about corrupt officials or local bullies abusing their power, Emperor Xingwu would directly hand the case over to the local censorate, demanding a strict investigation. Fearing that the censorate might be ineffective or collude with local officials, Emperor Xingwu would leave a team of imperial guards to supervise.

There weren’t many wrongful cases, but whenever he encountered one, Emperor Xingwu would fly into a rage.

The three Qin brothers didn’t dare say a word. At such times, only the little princess dared to slip into her father’s imperial carriage without being summoned.

In truth, Emperor Xingwu had already gotten over it himself. His anger was partly an act to intimidate the accompanying generals and local officials. When his daughter arrived, he even tried to comfort her: "It’s natural to be angry when encountering incompetent, corrupt, or evil officials, but you can’t stay angry forever. These scoundrels are like pests in a field—even if you manage to find and crush all of them today, a new wave will appear tomorrow. If you get angry every day, you’ll only hurt yourself."

Qingyang asked, "What kinds of pests are there in the fields?"

Emperor Xingwu, who had been a tenant farmer in his youth, working others’ land, catching pests, and barely keeping any grain for himself, fell silent.

He found it both amusing that his daughter was so innocent in this regard, and proud that he had been able to ensure she was born a princess. Patting her head, he said, "Just wait till next summer or fall. I’ll take you to the fields to see."

Indeed, he couldn’t only train his children in matters of border patrols, warfare, and and governance—he also needed to let them experience farming firsthand and understand the hardships of the vast majority of the people.

Emperor Xingwu continued talking about local officials: "Don’t think that just because local officials are mostly seventh-rank county magistrates and hold little sway in the capital, they are insignificant. In the eyes of the local people, a county magistrate holds more power than the Emperor in the capital. A good magistrate can ensure thousands of households live in plenty and comfort, while a corrupt one can cause those same households to suffer hunger and hardship. Yet, these officials file glowing reports and grease the palms of their superiors, making it easy to hide the truth from an Emperor hundreds of miles away. That’s why an Emperor cannot always hide in the palace. Every few years, he must go out and see for himself how the people are truly living. You can tell at a glance."

"Of course, whether he can travel far also depends on the timing and the state of the nation. If affairs of state are too busy, he cannot force it."

Qingyang said, "If Father is busy, you can send us to see for you. When I grow up, I can help share your burdens."

Emperor Xingwu laughed. "Good. When the time comes, I’ll make you a little imperial commissioner and give you a golden waistplate."

.

On the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Emperor Xingwu, who had taken his four children on a tour of the northern territories of Great Qi, finally returned to the capital.

Prince Yong led the civil and military officials out of the city, welcoming the Emperor ten li away and loudly praising his achievements in quelling Yuan Zhaoxiong’s rebellion and the campaign against West Hu.

The little princess, who had "snuck out" of the palace five months earlier, remained inside the carriage behind the imperial carriage, not showing herself. She recognized all these officials anyway. Rather than stepping out to be scrutinized by Left Chancellor Yan Xizheng and Imperial Censor-in-Chief Nie Ao, she preferred to stay comfortably in the carriage.

Emperor Xingwu, standing outside, noticed Yan Xizheng and Nie Ao glancing several times at his daughter’s carriage and was glad of her foresight.

After the formal greetings between ruler and subjects concluded, Emperor Xingwu returned to his imperial carriage, and the procession continued toward the capital.

As they approached the city, Qingyang lifted the carriage curtain and looked back at Zhang Su, who was riding a ways back. Zhang Su nudged his horse closer.

The little princess’s eyes clearly held reluctance. "Father has given you an early break. After we part this time, we won’t see each other again until the sixth day of the New Year."

Zhang Su could only nod in agreement.

Qingyang asked, "Will you still stay at home for this year’s New Year’s Eve palace banquet?"

Understanding her meaning, Zhang Su said, "If His Majesty holds a banquet, I will accompany my mother to the palace to pay our respects."

Qingyang smiled, satisfied, and dropped the curtain.

As the carriage drew closer to the imperial palace, Qingyang forgot about Zhang Su and even her father, sticking her head out the window early, straining to see.

Zhang Su, who had to escort the Emperor back to the palace before his duties ended, advised, "You won’t be able to see Consort Li until we’re closer, Your Highness. Please be patient."

Qingyang could not be patient. She shot him a look and said, "I miss Mother! I’m dying to see her!"

She enjoyed accompanying her father on campaigns and inspections, but she had missed her mother for a long time. The closer they got to the capital, the more she missed her.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Qingyang clambered onto the carriage shaft and waved to Zhang Su before the coachman could even bring the footstool.

Zhang Su lifted the little princess down by her armpits.

Qingyang saw her mother outside the palace gate. Her mother, who always stayed properly by Noble Consort’s side, not daring to speak or act before Noble Consort, had now leaned out. When she saw Qingyang, her mother even took a step forward.

"Mother!" Qingyang cried, running toward her mother.

Consort Li was crying even harder than her daughter. Not even noticing Emperor Xingwu, who had emerged from the imperial carriage, she rushed forward and pulled her clearly thinner daughter into a tight embrace. Mother and daughter cried together.

Qin Hong, Qin Bing, and Qin Ren all dismounted. Seeing this scene, Qin Hong glanced toward Crown Princess Lü Wenrong, who stood behind Consort Li with tears in her eyes. His eyes were so fixed on his wife that he failed to notice his eldest sister, Yong Kang, also watching him with tearful eyes.

Qin Bing was kind of afraid that his own mother might come running over crying to embrace him. However, when he looked up, he saw his mother respectfully bowing to the Emperor. But for some reason, Meng Yao, who stood behind his mother, was gazing at him with a complicated expression. When their eyes met, she glared at him, then lowered her head, her face flushing.

Qin Ren actually missed his mother quite a bit, but at that moment, it seemed as though his mother only had a daughter, hugging and crying with his sister. Qin Ren scratched his nose and followed his second brother to pay respects to Consort Li.

Emperor Xingwu told everyone to skip the formalities. It wasn’t the right moment to look at Consort Li, and his eldest daughter showed no intention of drawing closer to him. So, Emperor Xingwu scooped up his one-year-old granddaughter Xi'er and pinched the little girl’s hand, asking, "Xi'er, did you miss your Imperial Grandfather?"

Xi'er didn’t even recognize her Imperial Grandfather. Not only did she not miss him, she was even a bit shy. She immediately reached out toward her mother.

Emperor Xingwu smiled and obligingly handed her back to his eldest daughter.

Facing her father, Yong Kang felt somewhat guilty. When the Emperor had decided to take her brother on the campaign, Yong Kang had gone to the palace to argue against it and was scolded by her father. Unexpectedly, her worries had proven unnecessary—Liangzhou sent news of two huge victories: suppressing Yuan Zhaoxiong without a single soldier lost and dealing a heavy blow to West Hu.

Emperor Xingwu had long forgotten that momentary displeasure. Patting his eldest daughter’s shoulder, he said to everyone, especially the still-tearful Consort Li, "Alright, let’s return to the palace first and catch up slowly."

After all, it was the twelfth month—freezing and dry. Better not to let the frostbite their faces!

.

The royal carriage returned to the capital, and the long-quiet rear palace finally grew lively again. Qingyang, who had cried with her mother outside the palace, was all smiles once they reached Qianyuan Hall. She first distributed the gifts she had bought for Noble Consort, her eldest sister-in-law, her eldest sister, and her nieces and nephews—she even gave a gift to Princess Consort Yong, whom she wasn’t usually close to.

After catching up and chatting, she returned to Jiu Hua Palace to bathe and change. In the evening, they enjoyed a lively family banquet. When it ended, Qingyang stuck to her mother’s side, intending to sleep with her that night.

Consort Li very much wanted to accompany her daughter, but she stole a glance at Emperor Xingwu, who seemed drunk, and immediately met his threatening, suggestive gaze.

Consort Li was still more afraid of the Emperor. She had no choice but to continue placating her daughter: "Your father is drunk. Mother needs to take care of him. Lin'er, go back to Xianfu Palace first and wait for me…"

Qingyang couldn’t bear the thought of her mother traveling back and forth on a cold winter night. She said, "Then Mother, take good care of Father. I’ll come find you tomorrow evening."

Consort Li breathed a sigh of relief, though soon she grew troubled again. She had managed to put her daughter off for now, but in a few years, when Qingyang grew older and thought back to this night…

It was all the Emperor’s fault—already a grandfather, yet still so hung up on this!