Chapter 130

Chapter 130

The principle that "the law applies equally to the prince and the commoner" exists only in the realm of philosophical ideals. Whenever members of a dynasty's imperial clan violate the law, the emperor invariably makes the final decision, often granting them leniency or special pardons. If such clemency is withheld, it is either because the imperial relative has committed an unforgivable crime or has fallen out of favor with the reigning emperor.

Emperor Xingwu considered himself a relatively enlightened ruler, yet he never truly intended to strictly punish his eldest daughter and the Crown Prince according to the law. This leniency extended to the founding meritorious officials and newly promoted competent ministers alike; Emperor Xingwu always showed them favor. For instance, he had once given Yuan Zhaoxiong a chance to redeem himself and had not relentlessly pursued Fu Daonian, who had deceived the sovereign and colluded with the enemy.

In such situations, even an upright official like Imperial Censor-in-Chief Nie Ao would not insist that the emperor adhere strictly to the law, as long as the final punishment imposed could command public assent.

As for Fang Ji, a Director in the Ministry of Revenue, he possessed neither past merits nor imperial lineage. Emperor Xingwu simply ordered the imperial guards to send him to the Dali Temple for thorough interrogation.

For Princess Yongkang’s greed and acceptance of bribes, Emperor Xingwu punished her by confiscating the ten thousand taels Fang Ji had given her and imposing a fine five times that amount, totaling sixty thousand taels. According to the dynasty’s laws, officials guilty of lesser bribery offenses faced dismissal, demotion, or fines, while more severe cases warranted imprisonment, exile, or even death.

As a princess, Yongkang held no official post from which to be demoted, nor was her crime severe enough to warrant stripping her of her royal status and reducing her to a commoner. Instead, Emperor Xingwu halved her annual stipend, reducing it from five thousand to two thousand five hundred taels. The look of anger and resentment on Princess Yongkang’s face, though she dared not voice it, clearly indicated that Emperor Xingwu’s punishment was anything but light.

Additionally, Emperor Xingwu ordered Princess Yongkang to reflect on her mistakes under house arrest for one year, forbidden from leaving her residence without an imperial decree.

Princess Yongkang bowed her head, heartbroken over the sixty thousand taels she had to surrender and her halved stipend, yet simultaneously hoping that since her father had punished her so severely, he would be more lenient with her brother.

Emperor Xingwu momentarily set aside the Crown Prince and addressed Yang Zhimin: "Zhongwen, ah Zhongwen, long before I began my uprising, I already regarded you as a brother. Prince Yong is my own brother, but he is a simple man who dislikes studying. I favored you even more than him. I praised you daily in front of Prince Yong and Deng Chong, so much so that they wanted to beat you up…"

Yang Zhimin, who had kept his head lowered throughout, suddenly burst into tears, prostrating himself on the ground and sobbing, "Your Majesty, it was all my foolishness. Punish me as you will, but I beg Your Majesty to take care of your health. Do not grieve over my faults, or I would truly deserve death ten thousand times over!"

The civil and military officials heard the emperor’s voice choked with emotion and quickly knelt, urging him to take care of his health.

Emperor Xingwu turned away, wiping his face with his sleeve, and continued addressing Yang Zhimin, keeping his side to the assembly: "Do you think I don’t know your ability to select and recommend talent? I scold you for being foolish, but I know you are anything but. You weren’t afraid that the Crown Prince would resent you for refusing to help. I know—you see the Crown Prince as your own junior, as a child. You were afraid of embarrassing him by refusing, so you chose to break the rules for him."

"If you had made a mistake in other matters, I wouldn’t blame you. Who can guarantee they will never err in their lifetime? What disappoints me is that you clearly saw the Crown Prince as a junior, clearly knew he was heading down a wrong path, yet you didn’t pull him back…"

"No, Father, it is all my fault!" Qin Hong could no longer bear to listen. He raised his head tearfully to clarify for Yang Zhimin: "Yang Zhimin warned me at the time, saying that Father detests corrupt and incompetent officials who disrupt governance. It was I who was too ashamed to admit my mistake and feigned ignorance. It was I who knowingly acted against my conscience, betraying Father and Yang Zhimin’s teachings. Father, Yang Zhimin was implicated because of me. Punish me instead!"

If Yang Zhimin only felt guilt toward the emperor, Qin Hong carried two equally heavy burdens of remorse—one toward his father, and another toward Yang Zhimin. Yang Zhimin was a founding meritorious official with an untarnished reputation, and it was Qin Hong who, relying on his status as Crown Prince, had sullied his reputation.

Yang Zhimin urgently interjected, "Your Highness, say no more. I failed to dissuade you in time, and for that, I am at fault. I willingly accept punishment!"

Qin Hong wanted to speak further, but Princess Yongkang and Qin Ren pressed him down from both sides.

Emperor Xingwu, interrupted once by his son, lost the desire to continue his earlier train of thought and said directly, "In consideration of Yang Zhimin’s decades of meritorious service in recommending talent, you are hereby punished with removal from your position but allowed to retain your duties. If you commit no further errors within three years, you will be reinstated. One more mistake, and you may retire to your estate."

Yang Zhimin thanked the emperor through tears for his mercy.

With only the Crown Prince left unpunished, Emperor Xingwu leaned back on his throne, closed his eyes, and said wearily, "I have a headache. Left Chancellor, tell me, how should I punish the Crown Prince?"

Qin Hong was about to resign as Crown Prince again, but Qin Ren, ever vigilant, clamped a hand over his mouth once more.

Yan Xizheng, seeing this, sternly rebuked, "Your Highness, the emperor already has a headache from anger caused by you. Will you continue talking nonsense and further upset him?"

Resign, resign—all he knew was resignation. Resigning at a time like this was like a child having a tantrum after being scolded by their parents. Who would take it seriously?

Qin Hong lowered his head at Yan Xizheng’s words.

Yan Xizheng’s anger was no less than the emperor’s. Seeing the Crown Prince silenced, he took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and advised, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has always been kind-hearted. It is understandable that he could not bear to refuse Princess Yongkang’s unreasonable demands out of sibling affection. However, as the Crown Prince, he abused his power for personal gain. Without punishment, court discipline cannot be upheld. I propose that the Crown Prince be ordered to read a self-criticism in court as a warning."

A decree of self-criticism was typically issued by the emperor to make his faults known to the world. For the Crown Prince, a declaration before the civil and military officials was sufficient. This punishment was already severe for the Crown Prince. If not for the Crown Prince’s profound disappointment and the emperor’s firm resolve to replace him, Yan Xizheng would not have suggested this.

The court erupted into murmurs of discussion among the officials. Those who spoke up felt the punishment was too harsh, while those who approved naturally knew better than to say so aloud.

Emperor Xingwu massaged his temples and asked for the opinions of Dai Lun, Nie Ao, and Lv Zan.

Just as Nie Ao was about to speak, he noticed Dai Lun looking toward the military officials and followed his gaze to Duke of Cheng Lv Zan, who was also the Crown Prince’s father-in-law.

Lv Zan was a military man. During the founding of the dynasty, important decisions were made by the emperor, Yang Zhimin, and other clever minds, or at least by his father, Lv Guangzu. He was merely a follower, useful for exerting strength and killing on the battlefield, but the intricacies of court politics were beyond him.

Yet the emperor had been brought to tears by the Crown Prince and Yang Zhimin. It was all the Crown Prince’s fault. If he had such a son, he would have beaten him himself. Now, all that was asked was for the Crown Prince to write a self-criticism and read it aloud—was that not appropriate?

This was Yan Xizheng’s idea, and Yan Xizheng understood the emperor’s mind best. Moreover, as the Crown Prince’s father-in-law, he could not plead for leniency at such a critical juncture.

Considering this, Lv Zan stepped forward and said, "I find it acceptable."

Dai Lun and Nie Ao also agreed.

With these influential ministers in agreement, the murmuring behind them ceased.

Emperor Xingwu rose and said, "Then let it be done as the Left Chancellor suggests. I am tired. This court is dismissed."

***

Princess Yongkang was directly escorted from the palace by imperial guards. Qin Hong was in no state to attend to his duties at the Central Secretariat, so Qin Ren personally helped his elder brother back to the Eastern Palace.

Qin Hong had cried himself nearly dry in the court. Seeing his despondent state, Qin Ren felt both heartache and distress, crying as they walked: "Brother indeed should not have helped our eldest sister with her bribery affair. But what kind of person Brother is—does Father not know? At most, he would have scolded you a few times. Why did Brother have to mention resigning as Crown Prince? Were you trying to make me anxious? No matter what Brother thinks, I have never had such intentions…"

Qin Hong looked at his third brother, whose eyes were red from crying, and nearly laughed at the sight of his nose running. He said bitterly, "Third Brother, don’t overthink it. I never doubted you. But as you saw, I am truly not cut out to be Crown Prince…"

"No, I won’t allow Brother to say that!"

Qin Ren directly knelt in front of his elder brother, clutching Qin Hong’s legs and refusing to let go: "In my heart, Brother is the best Crown Prince, the only Crown Prince. If you say such things again, I will never step foot outside my princely estate again. Let whoever wants the position take it—I want no part of it and refuse to worry about it!"

The palace was filled with imperial guards and servants. Qin Hong hurriedly pulled his third brother up, saying with a headache, "Enough, go attend to your own affairs. I’ll return on my own."

After sending away his troublesome third brother, Qin Hong returned to the Chongyuan Palace alone.

He returned with a heart full of worries—Eldest Sister’s punishment, Yang Zhimin’s dismissal and retention, his father’s grief and tears, and his own failed resignation.

These matters could no longer be concealed. Qin Hong told Crown Princess Lv Wenrong everything truthfully.

Lv Wenrong sank weakly into a chair.

The Crown Prince had never mentioned the Grand Princess’s involvement in facilitating connections for officials. Lv Wenrong only knew that in the early years of their marriage, the Grand Princess often entered the palace to speak with the Crown Prince alone. Each time after her visits, the Crown Prince would be troubled for some time. It was only after the Crown Prince suffered a bout of headaches that the Grand Princess stopped insisting on private meetings in the study.

But rehashing the past was unimportant now. What mattered was…

"Does Your Highness truly wish to resign?" Lv Wenrong asked, her heart in knots. She did not cling to the prestige of being Crown Princess, but what would life be like if the Crown Prince were deposed? Could Zheng Ge’er endure it?

Qin Hong looked at his wife and actually smiled. "To be honest, I’ve had this thought for a long time. I never dared voice it before. Today, I finally said it, and I feel as if a weight has been lifted. If I were to continue as Crown Prince, merely thinking about it would place two great mountains on my shoulders again, and my heart would remain filled with fear and unease…"

"Then don’t do it!" Lv Wenrong cried, throwing herself into her husband’s arms and holding tightly to his once-strong, now frail body. "Then don’t do it. It’s you I love. If you are Crown Prince, I will be your Crown Princess. If you are an ordinary person, I will be your ordinary wife. I don’t seek great wealth or honor—I only want you to be well, to grow old with me."

The Crown Prince she loved was the one who smiled gently like jade in his youth, the one who would chat with her about everyday matters.

But over the years, she had watched as the Crown Prince became more and more haggard, his smiles growing fewer, and his suffering during headaches. Lv Wenrong had shared his weariness, worries, and torment. Such a life was something she had long ceased to want.

Qin Hong lowered his head, burying his face in his wife’s thick hair.

The peace in his heart at this moment told him he had chosen the right path.

Since he had chosen correctly, he should persevere—not only for his own liberation but also for his father's sake and for Great Qi.