Chapter 89

Chapter 89

“A princess serving as an official at court—what kind of nonsense is that?”

Leaving the Tai Chi Hall, Prince Yong glanced left and right before sidling up to his old acquaintance, Lü Zan, and muttering.

Lü Zan was also a founding general, but overshadowed by his father, Lü Guangzu, whose military achievements were far greater. Outsiders always praised the old Duke first when speaking of the Lü family.

In terms of age, Lü Zan was only a year older than Prince Yong. One might expect Prince Yong, who had been deemed too young to play with by Emperor Xingwu and Deng Chong, to be closer to Lü Zan. However, Lü Zan was more scholarly and refined than Lü Guangzu. Beyond military matters, Prince Yong found little common ground with Lü Zan and later grew closer to Deng Chong.

With Deng Chong still recuperating in Yunzhou, and among the high-ranking military officials in the capital, Prince Yong was estranged from Zhang Jie, unfamiliar with Hou Wanzhong (the newly promoted Southern Camp commander from Liangzhou), and knew that Fan Zhong and Xue Ye were too loyal to ever criticize the Emperor. After much deliberation, Prince Yong could only “confide” in Lü Zan.

Prince Yong had a booming voice, and his self-proclaimed whisper was far from quiet. The moment he spoke, Lü Zan’s expression changed. He quickly scanned the area, noting Fan Zhong, Zhang Jie, Yan Xizheng, and Yang Zhimin nearby. Lü Zan immediately raised his voice slightly above Prince Yong’s and laughed, “I actually find Princess Qingyang’s words quite insightful. Besides, a tiger begets no dog. Our Emperor is a dragon descended to earth, so his daughter should not be viewed as an ordinary woman.”

It was a joke—the Emperor had already made his decision; who would dare question it?

Prince Yong was the Emperor’s younger brother and Princess Qingyang’s paternal uncle; a few grumbles might be overlooked. But was Lü Zan tired of living?

Hearing this, Prince Yong guessed Lü Zan was a coward and snorted dismissively. He bypassed the two military officers and approached Yan Xizheng and Nie Ao, who were walking side by side. With a hint of disdain, he said to Nie Ao, “You, the Imperial Censor-in-Chief, are quite useless, aren’t you? A little girl silenced you with a few words. Could it be that you haven’t read as many books as she has?”

Nie Ao opposed the young princess joining the court, but privately, he admired her talent and her usual courtesy towards him. In contrast, he found Prince Yong’s crude remarks quite offensive.

“I am the Imperial Censor-in-Chief appointed by His Majesty. If Your Highness continues to speak so disrespectfully, do not blame me for upholding justice and impeaching you for misconduct.”

With that, Nie Ao flicked his sleeve and departed.

Prince Yong: “…”

Yan Xizheng pretended not to hear and continued walking silently. Yang Zhimin glanced at Prince Yong and, with a smile, tried to smooth things over: “Lord Nie has always been impartial and does not hold personal grudges. Your Highness need not take it to heart. As for the princess joining the court, His Majesty has already made a decision. If Your Highness still has reasons to object, you may directly advise His Majesty. His Majesty is broad-minded and will not blame you whether he accepts your advice or not.”

Prince Yong: “I have reasons, but I can’t articulate them. This is something you scholars should argue, especially you! If you don’t advise against it, in a few days, Qingyang will be wreaking havoc in your Ministry of Personnel!”

Yang Zhimin: “It is the court’s Ministry of Personnel. I merely hold the humble position of Minister and strive to share His Majesty’s burdens.”

Prince Yong glared: “Stop quibbling with me. Are you going or not?”

Yang Zhimin: “Well, there’s still a pile of official business waiting for me at the Ministry of Personnel. I’m afraid I must take my leave.”

Suddenly, a loud laugh came from nearby: “Your Highness, if you want to persuade, go and speak for yourself! Why keep urging others? Never mind, they’re busy. I’ll accompany Your Highness instead!”

Prince Yong’s eyes lit up, and he turned to ask Fan Zhong: “You oppose this too?”

Fan Zhong: “What do I oppose? I don’t understand top scholars and court politics. I only know how to guard the imperial city for His Majesty. But I’d like to hear how Your Highness plans to persuade the Emperor.”

Prince Yong: “…”

With no support in the court, Prince Yong grew even angrier. After leaving the palace, he skipped his afternoon duties at the Northern Camp and went straight back to his princely residence.

Qin Liang was at the Northern Camp, so only Deng Shi and her daughter-in-law, Zhu Lianqing, were at home. Hearing that her husband had returned, Deng Shi left her daughter-in-law to see him.

Prince Yong immediately pulled his wife aside and complained bitterly about his elder brother and niece.

Deng Shi found it absurd: “The Emperor is too indulgent toward Qingyang. Letting her run around inside and outside the court when she was little was one thing, but now that she’s almost of age, instead of quickly selecting an imperial son-in-law for her to marry and have children, he’s letting her become an official? What does she know?”

Prince Yong: “Exactly! Being able to read and write essays means nothing. In officialdom, you have to deal with people, drink, and scheme. What does a little girl know about that?”

Deng Shi was not as angry as her husband. After pondering for a while, she actually felt quite pleased. Patting her husband’s arm, she said: “Don’t worry. In the end, this has nothing to do with us. Let’s just wait and watch the show. Yong Kang has always been competitive. When she hears that Princess Qingyang is going to become an official, she’ll surely ask the Emperor for a position too. If the Emperor agrees, the officialdom will be in chaos, and the ministers will have reasons to send both princesses back. If the Emperor refuses, there will be discord between father and daughter, and between sisters. Then the Crown Prince will be caught in the middle and have a headache.”

The young princess becoming an official did not affect their family, but if the Crown Prince and his siblings truly clashed with the deeply favored young princess, it would greatly benefit their family.

***

Even without Deng Shi gossiping, as the over two hundred newly appointed scholars who attended the banquet in the Tai Chi Hall left the palace, two major events quickly spread throughout the capital: Princess Qingyang had taken first place in the palace examination, and the Emperor had allowed her to serve in the Ministry of Personnel.

Yong Kang received the news on the morning of the 23rd from the steward in charge of procurement. After sending someone to verify the news and confirming it was true, the eldest princess spent the day considering which ministry she should serve in. After preparing herself, she set out by carriage the following afternoon.

In the past, when she entered the palace, she always used the pretext of paying respects to the noble consort. The noble consort would send her waist pass to the guards for inspection, after which they would let her pass.

Today, Yong Kang wanted to see her father, so she directly asked the guards to request an audience with the Emperor.

The afternoon was indeed a relatively leisurely time for Emperor Xingwu. With the spring scenery bright and beautiful, after his nap, Emperor Xingwu invited the noble consort and Consort Li for a stroll in the imperial garden. They admired the crabapple and peonies, enjoyed the newly green locust and willow trees, and then moved to a waterside pavilion. Actors from the Yichun Pavilion, dressed in opera costumes, were already waiting there and began performing while the Emperor and consorts enjoyed tea and rest.

Emperor Xingwu leaned back in a rattan chair, listening with his eyes closed.

In his youth, he was too poor to enjoy such pleasures. In his prime, he was busy scheming for great causes, fighting for and ruling the world. Only in his later years did he begin to crave this kind of carefree leisure.

“What is it?” A soft inquiry from the noble consort reached his ears. Emperor Xingwu opened his eyes and saw He Yuanjing walking in from outside.

Seeing the Emperor awake, He Yuanjing bowed and said, “The eldest princess requests an audience.”

Emperor Xingwu nodded, watching He Yuanjing leave. Casually, he glanced at Consort Li.

Consort Li already looked uneasy. Her daughter had just been permitted to join the court, and now the eldest princess was entering the palace—it must be about this matter.

The noble consort patted Consort Li’s hand reassuringly.

When Yong Kang arrived with the guiding palace attendant, the second performance at the waterside pavilion had just begun. Seeing her father with his eyes closed, fingers lightly tapping the armrest, she tactfully sat opposite the two imperial consorts to listen to the opera without speaking out of turn.

After about two quarters of an hour, the actors finished singing and knelt to await instructions.

Emperor Xingwu, as usual, rewarded them and dismissed them. Consort Li also wanted to leave, but the Emperor did not give her the chance to excuse herself. Instead, he directly asked the eldest princess: “In the past, you always went directly to Chongyuan Palace to see Zheng Geer. Today, you came here. Is there something wrong?”

Yong Kang glanced at the two imperial consorts sitting opposite, especially Consort Li, and said with a smile: “There is something. It’s all the buzz outside the palace now—they say you’ve granted my sister an official position. Father, why not grant me one too? I also want to share your burdens. Although my knowledge may not match my sister’s, I am older and have more experience. I’m better suited to dealing with officials.”

Emperor Xingwu took two sips of tea in a row. As he was about to put down the teacup, Yong Kang hurriedly helped him set it down.

Emperor Xingwu leaned back into the rattan chair, seemingly intrigued by his eldest daughter’s words, and scrutinized her carefully.

Time flies. He had grown old, his younger daughter had blossomed from a child into a graceful young lady, and his eldest daughter had transformed from a graceful young lady into a twenty-nine-year-old woman.

Because his eldest daughter had spent the least time with him, out of a sense of guilt, Emperor Xingwu had tolerated many of her flaws. But she should not have remained so lacking in self-awareness.

Maintaining his lazy posture, Emperor Xingwu looked calm, as if amused by something, and said: “Why does the court select talents through imperial examinations? Because the court needs knowledgeable officials. If we only valued age and experience, I might as well issue an edict to select the oldest individuals from each prefecture, county, and town to become officials. Why bother with the effort of holding imperial examinations?”

The overly blunt sarcasm, delivered in front of the two imperial consorts and with a court diarist sitting not far away, made Yong Kang’s face first turn red, then pale with shame. But after this uncontrollable humiliation, anger ignited in her chest. Stiffening her neck, she stared directly at her father in the rattan chair: “How can those ignorant old men compare to me? I am your daughter. I usually interact with you, the Crown Prince, royal relatives, and court ministers. In terms of insight and familiarity with court affairs, I surpass those scholars who only know how to read dead books!”

The noble consort kept her eyes down, focusing on her own thoughts. Consort Li was so startled by the eldest princess’s boldness that she shuddered.

Emperor Xingwu had once praised his eldest daughter’s spirit in front of the Crown Prince. But now, as she argued with him, he grew angrier the more he listened. Staring at his eldest daughter, he asked: “Is that so? Which ministers have you interacted with? Which court affairs are you familiar with? Come, tell me all about it.”

Yong Kang: “…Anyway, whatever my sister knows, I know too. Father, don’t even think about being biased.”

Emperor Xingwu laughed in anger: “I’m biased? The Chongwen Pavilion is in the Eastern Palace. When Lin’er began her education, I asked you to join too. It was you who didn’t want to go! Usually, when bestowing silks and satins, because you are older than Lin’er, I gave you no less than her. Even the allowances for married princesses in previous dynasties were lower than those for princes, but I gave you the same as your second and third brothers. How dare you say I’m biased?”

Yong Kang: “But my sister lived in the palace for fifteen years! I only lived there for three years before you casually married me off to the Fu family! Since you married me into the Fu family, why did you strip the Fu family of their title and embarrass me? Father…”

A dark shadow flashed before her eyes, accompanied by Consort Li’s startled cry. Yong Kang instinctively raised her arm to shield her face.

But the expected slap did not come. Yong Kang peeked from under her arm and saw her father only raising his right hand high, glaring at her with full anger. As their eyes met, Emperor Xingwu took a deep breath, turned his face away, and pointed toward the palace exit: “Get out. I have no such selfish and unfilial foolish daughter.”

Without obtaining the official position and even being scolded, Yong Kang held back her tears and ran off without looking back.

Both Consort Li and Consort Li rose to their feet the moment Emperor Xingwu was about to strike his daughter. Seeing Yong Kang leave in distress, Consort Li said anxiously, “I’ll go comfort Yong Kang. She… she’s just being immature…”

Knowing Emperor Xingwu was in no mood to listen, Consort Li stopped herself and hurried after Yong Kang.

Emperor Xingwu turned his gaze to Consort Li, the only one still by his side, his eyes still burning with residual anger toward his eldest daughter.

Consort Li’s face was even paler than Yong Kang’s had been after being scolded. She said tremulously, “Perhaps… perhaps Lin’er shouldn’t go—”

Emperor Xingwu: “Enough!”

Even if he did favor Lin’er, it was because she deserved it. As Lin’er had said, she earned the top rank in the palace examination through twelve years of hard study. His eldest daughter cared only for jewelry and luxury—why should she expect to be equal to Lin’er in everything?

***

Yong Kang did not leave the palace. Weeping all the way, she went to Chongyuan Palace and, ignoring Consort Li’s attempts to console her, cried and insisted on seeing the Crown Prince.

Lü Wenrong had no choice but to send for her husband, who had just returned to duty at the Secretariat.

Qin Hong hurried to the vicinity of Chongyuan Palace and saw Consort Li standing outside. When he heard from the palace attendant beside her that his sister had actually driven Consort Li out, Qin Hong felt utterly ashamed.

Consort Li sighed. “Don’t worry about it. You… you should go comfort Yong Kang. As long as she lets go of this idea of demanding an official post from the Emperor, your father will only be angry for a while. Later, you and your sister can go together to apologize and smooth things over.”

Having said this, Consort Li left with her attendants.

Qin Hong also had to return to Chongyuan Palace, but as soon as he reached the palace gates and heard his sister’s weeping from inside, his legs felt as heavy as lead, and he could hardly take another step.

But he had no way out. It was his sister inside, the one who had protected him since childhood.

Qin Hong lowered his head and went in.

Seeing Lü Wenrong standing under the eaves, looking at him with concern, Qin Hong forced a smile and asked his wife to leave first. He would see his sister alone.

When the siblings met, Yong Kang tearfully poured out all her grievances. Qin Hong sat on a chair at first but eventually sank to the floor. No matter how much his sister scolded him for being useless and failing to help her, Qin Hong only covered his head with his hands. Their younger sister’s official post was given by their father. If their father didn’t want to give one to their elder sister, what could he do? How could he help?

Yong Kang cried until she was exhausted and had no more complaints. Seeing her brother in such a defeated state and remembering their father’s stubbornness, she knew she couldn’t get what she wanted. Disappointed, she left.

Lü Wenrong hurried in to comfort her husband.

Jiuhua Palace was not far from Chongyuan Palace, but after her midday rest, Qingyang had gone to the martial arts hall for her martial arts lesson. By the time she returned and heard about the incident from Qin Fang, Yong Kang had long since left the palace.

“Just pretend you don’t know,” Qingyang ordered calmly before going to bathe.

If her elder sister came to ask how she could gain their father’s permission to serve in the court, Qingyang could advise her to first hire a renowned tutor and study the classics and histories diligently.

If her elder sister didn’t come, Qingyang offering advice unsolicited would seem like showing off.

Consort Li and her eldest brother had surely already tried to persuade her. If their words didn’t work, anything Qingyang said would be useless.

Moreover, this matter involved her. Qingyang wasn’t even sure whether her elder sister would resent her because of it.

After bathing and changing clothes, Qingyang sat in the courtyard to dry her hair while reading. Jie Yu came over, looking grave, and said, “Your Highness, Chongyuan Palace just sent for the imperial physician. It seems the Crown Prince has a severe headache.”

Upon hearing this, Qingyang didn’t even bother to comb her hair and hurried to Chongyuan Palace.

She arrived first. Before long, Emperor Xingwu and the Two Imperial Consorts also came, crowding around to watch the imperial physician perform acupuncture on Qin Hong, who was drenched in cold sweat from the pain.

Once the acupuncture took effect, the physician signaled discreetly for the Emperor to step outside.

Outside, Emperor Xingwu asked anxiously, “What exactly is the Crown Prince’s condition?”

The physician replied respectfully, “I suspect the Crown Prince’s headache is caused by excessive worry. If His Highness can calm his mind, the illness will subside.”

Emperor Xingwu fell silent.

The physician went to prepare a calming tonic and took his leave. Emperor Xingwu stood alone for a while, then summoned the Two Imperial Consorts and his younger daughter, instructing them to return to their palaces and rest. He also sent someone to summon his eldest daughter to the palace.

Yong Kang initially considered defying the order, but when she heard her brother was ill, she rushed over in a panic. Upon learning that her demand for an official post had caused her brother’s distress and headache, she wept and promised she would never seek an official post again, begging only for him to recover quickly.

To allow the Crown Prince to rest, Emperor Xingwu did not let Yong Kang stay in the room for long.

Yong Kang wiped away her tears as she stepped out of the inner chamber. Seeing her father waiting outside with a stern expression, she lowered her head in shame.

Emperor Xingwu coldly warned his eldest daughter, “If there is a next time, you will never set foot in the palace again for the rest of your life.”

Yong Kang still felt resentful, but she could not defy her father, and with her brother ill, she had no choice but to yield.

A night passed. After a good night’s sleep with the calming tonic, the Crown Prince recovered completely, finally bringing relief to the royal family inside and outside the palace.