Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Though Qingyang had been trying to make her father laugh ever since seeing him, the moment she first laid eyes on him in the courtyard, she nearly burst into tears.

During the southern tour, she had spent nine full months with her father, day and night. Despite all the hardships and upheavals along the way, he had stood firm behind her and her second brother like a mountain, showing no sign of age. Yet, upon returning to the capital—where life should have been more comfortable—her father had secluded himself in mourning for days following Deng Chong’s death.

In the past few days, Qingyang had suspected her father was suffering, but she hadn’t expected him to suddenly have so many white hairs, nor had she anticipated the new wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Even the sharpness and vitality in his gaze—so evident when he tested her and her second brother in Xia County—seemed to have dimmed.

Aging, illness, and death are part of life’s natural course. Qingyang could accept Duke Cheng, Lü Guangzu’s peaceful passing, the graying hair of meritorious officials like Yan Xizheng and Dai Lun, even the late-life disgrace of founding general Fu Daonian or Deng Chong’s tragic illness after his victory over Biao. But she refused to accept that her beloved father was also growing older day by day as she matured.

Taking advantage of her father’s joking remark about his lifespan, Qingyang finally let herself cry.

Emperor Xingwu claimed he was focused on cooking the meat, but his eyes stung from the steam rising from the hot pot.

His Hong’er had always been exceptionally bright since childhood, growing more sensible and thoughtful with age. She had never cried or caused trouble over sibling quarrels, nor had she ever run to complain to her father when scolded by her nephew. The few times she had shed tears were out of fear that her father would abandon her.

Such a daughter—usually so capable and independent—suddenly seemed like a child when she cried, making it even harder for him to let go.

Deng Chong had passed away just like that. Aside from regretting his undignified death from miasma, he had little else to dwell on. His two sons were already settled with families and grandchildren; the wealth and glory of the Duke of Ding’s estate were secure; his bold, rough wife no longer held his interest; and his pretty concubines were mere diversions.

But as for the emperor himself, his responsibilities far outweighed Deng Chong’s. Choosing a successor required extreme caution—it was not a decision he could make alone. The chosen one had to satisfy both civil and military officials; otherwise, they would pester him endlessly with arguments.

Then there was his family. He had a beloved consort, seventeen years his junior, whom he could not bear to part with; three sons who were good-for-nothings yet capable of inciting internal strife; an eldest daughter who was strong-willed but lacked understanding; his precious Hong’er, perfect in every way yet destined to endure countless hardships—whom he wanted to help but lacked the time to support indefinitely; and a younger brother who, though occasionally unruly, had fought beside him to win the empire…

Well, Hong’er was right. There were still many matters awaiting him, and he could not afford to shirk his duties any longer.

With the table now laden with meat and vegetables, Emperor Xingwu felt as though he had returned to his teenage years, when he first attended a banquet, and he began eating heartily, dish after dish.

Seeing her father’s good appetite, Qingyang quickly composed herself and joined him in eating with gusto. As they ate, she brought up matters her father might not have had the mood to notice—such as how her third brother’s wife, who had married in February, was already six or seven months pregnant, and how her princess residence was fully constructed and only awaited her inspection before official handover.

Though Emperor Xingwu disliked his third son, he was pleased to hear the news of his impending fatherhood. But when his daughter mentioned her residence, the emperor snorted and couldn’t resist teasing her again: “Are you so eager to marry Zhang Su?”

Qingyang: “What does he have to do with it? That residence was bestowed upon me by you, Father. It’s entirely my own home. How could I not like it?”

Emperor Xingwu: “Liking it is useless. Before the wedding, I won’t allow you to leave the palace. Stay here and keep your mother and me company.”

Since her marriage was involved, Qingyang wanted to know the approximate wedding date and asked curiously: “Has Father selected an auspicious day yet?”

Most girls married at fifteen or sixteen, and even those from doting families were married off by eighteen. In their family, her eldest sister had married at seventeen, so Qingyang assumed her wedding would be next year.

Emperor Xingwu: “Not yet. Anyway, I’m in no rush to let my treasured pearl leave the palace. If Zhang Su dares to push, let him come tell me himself. I’ll arrange a different marriage for him.”

Qingyang: “…”

If he wasn’t in a hurry, fine. She wasn’t particularly eager either. Though Jiuhua Palace wasn’t as spacious or grand as her external princess residence, it was close to the government offices in the front court. Living in the palace allowed her to sleep an extra half-hour each morning and made it easier to see her parents.

.

The next day, the emperor, who had been withdrawn since returning to the capital, finally reappeared in the grand hall to preside over the morning court.

Qingyang was relieved to see that although her father’s new white hairs could not turn black again, the emperor—dressed in a black dragon robe with red trim—had regained about seventy to eighty percent of his former authority and spirit. She believed that in time, he would fully recover from the grief of Deng Chong’s passing.

After court, Emperor Xingwu summoned his three sons, one daughter, and his younger brother to join him for breakfast, making up for their post-tour reunion. A formal royal banquet would be held on Little New Year.

Once breakfast was served, Emperor Xingwu took a few bites and first asked Prince Yong: “You visited Deng Chong before he passed, didn’t you?”

Prince Yong sighed: “From the moment news of his illness spread, I went to see him every day. Each time, he yelled at me for visiting too often. That man, as Your Majesty knows best, was stubborn to the end.”

Emperor Xingwu fell silent for a moment, then asked: “Aside from telling you not to inform me, did he have any other final words?”

Prince Yong was deeply saddened. He lost his appetite, set down his chopsticks, and said: “Mostly he spoke of battling and drinking together in the next life. He only asked me to tell Your Majesty that he regretted not listening to your advice in his youth to change some of his bad habits. The miasma illness came from those same habits, so he urged Your Majesty not to blame yourself. He also instructed Deng Kun and Deng Tai to serve the court wholeheartedly and not to disgrace him.”

Deng Chong’s bad habits?

Emperor Xingwu could recall many, but however one looked at it, Deng Chong’s death was a sacrifice for the nation, undertaken to share his burden. Thus, he felt responsible.

Qingyang silently served him a dish.

Emperor Xingwu changed the subject. After accepting his youngest daughter’s filial gesture, he turned to the Crown Prince: “I heard that during my southern tour, you suffered headaches almost once or twice a month? What exactly did the pain feel like, and what caused it? Was it because state affairs overwhelmed you, even at nearly thirty, or were there too many unreasonable officials angering you?”

The remark about age carried undisguised sarcasm and disdain. Qin Hong, ashamed, left his seat and stood to the side, bowing his head: “Your son is incompetent and has failed to live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”

Prince Yong, who had also been called out, quickly stepped aside and confessed: “Your Majesty, this matter is my fault. I was too eager for the shipment of horses from West Hu. I was so focused on ensuring the northern camp’s cavalry all received new mounts that I used our bond as uncle and nephew to pressure the Crown Prince into agreeing. As a result, I caused him to fall ill. I was wrong, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me!”

Qin Bing, hearing of his uncle’s horse request for the first time, widened his eyes in surprise. Such a thing had happened?

Qingyang simply stared at the collar of her father’s dragon robe. Because Jiuhua Palace was so close to Chongyuan Palace, Qin Fang and the others had managed to learn about most major and minor incidents involving her eldest brother. Thus, Qingyang had learned of her brother’s headaches and their triggers the very day she returned to the palace.

She pitied that her eldest brother had developed such a condition so young, but she also understood her father’s frustration with his son’s tendency to fall ill under pressure. Beyond their father-son bond, the emperor and the Crown Prince were sovereign and heir. The higher the emperor’s expectations, the greater his disappointment in his son’s inability to cope.

Emperor Xingwu’s anger immediately turned to Prince Yong: “How dare you say that! This was the Crown Prince’s first time overseeing state affairs. Instead of supporting him, you, as his uncle, added to his burdens. Fortunately, the Crown Prince is resilient and nothing serious occurred. But if anything had happened to him, and word got out, would you have our newly established Qin family embroiled in a scandal of uncle and nephew turning against each other?”

Prince Yong’s face turned pale. He dropped to his knees before Emperor Xingwu, stammering: “Brother, I… I really only wanted the horses. I didn’t think of anything else. I had no idea Hong’er would be so affected. I didn’t know he’d get headaches… Brother, believe me, I didn’t mean to make Hong’er sick on purpose!”

Qin Hong also quickly knelt, pleading for his uncle: “Father, this matter is entirely my fault for being indecisive and disrupting protocol. Uncle acted without ill intent. I beg Father to judge fairly!”

Emperor Xingwu laughed coldly at the kneeling pair: “Yes, one of you merely acted without ill intent, and the other was merely soft-hearted and indecisive. Neither of you is at fault. I’m the one making a fuss over nothing. I’m the one who usually restrains you too much. I should just give my brother as many horses as he wants, and let my Crown Prince handle state affairs like household matters. At worst, the border troops would have no horses to stop the Hu cavalry. At worst, the state would descend into chaos and perish early. After all, our Qin family started from nothing. Even if we fall back into poverty, we won’t starve, right?”

Qin Hong and his brothers had endured their father’s scolding for twenty years, but Prince Yong had endured it for over forty. Hearing these words, he knew his brother was truly furious. Regretfully, he began slapping his own cheeks: “It’s all my fault for being foolish! It’s all my fault for speaking carelessly! I know I was wrong, Brother. Please calm your anger!”

Trembling with fear from his father’s rage, Qin Hong was momentarily stunned. Should he continue admitting fault, or follow his uncle’s example and punish himself physically?

Qingyang kicked her second and third brothers under the table.

Before Qin Bing could react, Qin Ren rushed over and grabbed Prince Yong’s hands, hugging him tightly while looking pleadingly at his father: “Father, both Brother and Uncle know they were wrong. Since the New Year is approaching, could you please forgive them this once?”

Emperor Xingwu glared at him coldly.

Seizing the opportunity, Prince Yong shook off his third nephew and continued striking his own face.

Qin Bing finally understood his sister’s intention. He rushed over and, replacing his third brother, hugged Prince Yong from one side before pleading with his father.

Emperor Xingwu ordered them all to leave.

Qin Bing quickly pulled Prince Yong away, while Qingyang and her third brother helped their eldest brother take their leave.

After leaving Qianyuan Palace, Qingyang comforted the two who had been scolded: “The southern tour was arduous. Though Father never complained, his health must have suffered. After returning to the capital, he grieved over the Duke of Ding’s passing. Suppressed sorrow easily turns to anger. Given his lifelong reputation, Father couldn’t unjustly blame his ministers, so he took it out on his family instead. But this was certainly not his true intention. Brother and Uncle must not take it to heart.”

Prince Yong’s face was red from slapping. He nodded and said: “That’s right. Hong’er, don’t take it too personally. If we can help His Majesty vent this frustration, we’ve actually done him a favor. It’s better than letting him bottle it up and fall ill himself.”

Having been scolded by his brother since childhood, he would forget about it soon enough.

Qin Hong could only smile bitterly.

His uncle’s mistake was a one-time error that Father could forgive, but his own incompetence was long-standing. How could Father overlook that?