Chapter 134

Chapter 134

The news of Qin Hong's dethronement struck Noble Consort and Consort Li like a bolt from the blue, utterly without warning.

Upon learning that the Emperor had not only deposed the Crown Prince but also ordered the immediate eviction of the eldest son's family from the palace, Noble Consort, accompanied by Consort Li, rushed to Qianyuan Palace to intercede for the Crown Prince. However, they were met with a firm refusal from He Yuanjing, who stated that the Emperor was recuperating and would see no one. In her desperation, Consort Li, the most favored consort in the harem, uncharactercharacteristically broke protocol, weeping at the entrance and begging the Emperor to emerge. Yet, Emperor Xingwu remained unseen.

It was Noble Consort who eventually calmed Consort Li. The two consorts then proceeded to Chong Yuan Palace to visit the former Crown Prince, now Prince An.

At the time, Qin Hong was preoccupied with moving. To assure the two consorts that his resignation was both voluntary and long-desired, he quickly saw them off. He also made it clear that he had made other arrangements for his departure from the palace and requested that they not come to see him off again.

The eldest prince's genuine smile effectively silenced all the words of persuasion the two consorts had prepared.

Consort Li, her heart in turmoil, followed Noble Consort back to the Western Palace.

She was aware of the punishments meted out to the Crown Prince and Princess Yongkang. However, from that day forward, the Emperor had not summoned her to Qianyuan Palace for the night.

The Emperor was nearing sixty, and in recent years, his conjugal activities had already become infrequent. Now, having fallen ill due to his children's actions, it was only natural for him to desire peaceful recuperation. Aside from concern for the Emperor's health, Consort Li had harbored no other suspicions. How could she have imagined that after just ten days without seeing the Emperor, father and son would conspire to drop such a monumental bombshell?

With the Crown Prince deposed, was there still a possibility of reinstating the eldest prince as Crown Prince?

If there was no chance of the eldest prince being reinstated, then...

Consort Li cast a fearful glance at Noble Consort, who was half a step ahead of her. Heavens, could Noble Consort suspect her of meddling? Did Noble Consort wish for Prince Jing to ascend the throne?

At that very moment, Noble Consort turned to look at her, and Consort Li quickly lowered her long lashes, avoiding eye contact.

With only the two of them as consorts in the harem, how could Noble Consort not understand Consort Li?

The Emperor's recent failure to summon Consort Li for attendance alone indicated that the Crown Prince's deposition was unrelated to her, and the Emperor did not wish for Consort Li to be implicated.

As for the Emperor's choice for the new Crown Prince, it was even less likely to be her courageous but foolhardy and stubborn Qin Bing.

Noble Consort gently took Consort Li's arm and led her forward: "Do not overthink it. The Emperor will make his own sacred decision."

Overthinking was futile; no one could sway the Emperor's will. Thus, it was best for them to wait patiently and dutifully.

By dusk, all of Prince An's belongings from Chong Yuan Palace had been relocated to the stately mansion that had just had its "Princess Qingyang's Mansion" plaque removed and was awaiting a new one.

The people of the capital knew that Emperor Xingwu treated his two princesses and two princes equally, bestowing upon them mansions and stipends of the same standard. Given that the younger princess was the most favored, even if her mansion appeared to be the same size as those of the elder princess and the two princes from the outside, the common folk would secretly speculate that Emperor Xingwu had provided her with additional funds from elsewhere. The timber, stone, and paint used in its construction, along with various furnishings and garden landscaping, were surely the finest among the four residences.

The truth was irrelevant; what mattered was that while officials and commoners might be astonished that the Emperor had truly deposed the Crown Prince, they would never believe that bestowing the younger princess's mansion upon Prince An was an injustice to him. Even if a new Prince An Mansion were to be constructed, it would never surpass the quality of the younger princess's residence.

The commoners merely gathered outside Prince An's mansion to witness the spectacle. Meanwhile, in Qianyuan Palace, Emperor Xingwu lay in bed for most of the day, his mind racing when his eyes were open. When exhaustion became unbearable, he would sleep, drifting in and out of consciousness. When he opened his eyes again, he found the bed curtains shrouded in darkness, with only two dimly lit lamps outside providing just enough light to illuminate the room's furnishings.

Emperor Xingwu sat up.

He Yuanjing, who had been waiting behind the screen, immediately hurried over, bowing low.

Emperor Xingwu rubbed his forehead and asked, "What time is it?"

He Yuanjing: "Two quarters to the Xu hour (7-9 PM)."

Emperor Xingwu: "Has everything been moved?"

He Yuanjing replied softly: "Yes."

Emperor Xingwu fell silent for a moment before instructing, "Send someone to check again. If anything has been left behind, have it delivered. Otherwise, lock the main gates."

He Yuanjing then understood that Prince An's family would never return.

After He Yuanjing withdrew, Emperor Xingwu lay down again, his mind once more replaying the scenes from his son's resignation that morning to his acceptance of the imperial decree.

His son, whom he had feared for over twenty years, the Crown Prince who had been dedicated to sharing his burdens but had been indecisive and timid for over a decade, had finally displayed the decisiveness and courage he had long hoped for when resigning from the position of Crown Prince.

Emperor Xingwu was truly angry—angry that his son had been ineffective when most needed. But he also truly ached for this son, who was merely useless but still filial to his father and kind to his siblings—a good child at heart.

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Emperor Xingwu had deposed the Crown Prince but had not yet announced it to the world or immediately assigned duties to Prince An. For now, only the people of the capital had heard rumors, which might at most be carried elsewhere by traveling merchant caravans.

Prince An had moved out, and Emperor Xingwu continued to recuperate in Qianyuan Palace, leaving state affairs to the Secretariat. Apart from the two prime ministers who could enter Qianyuan Palace in the morning to report, Emperor Xingwu refused to see anyone else.

Half a month passed in a flash. By the time the news of the Crown Prince's deposition had spread throughout the capital, on the 28th day of the eleventh month, the victorious Princess Qingyang sent a memorial to the capital, stating that the army had reached Xiuwu County and was expected to arrive in the capital on the morning of the third day of the twelfth month.

Like a breath of fresh air blowing into Qianyuan Palace, Emperor Xingwu finally smiled again after reading the memorial. The next morning, he even personally presided over the morning court session.

Not only did Emperor Xingwu attend court, but he also summoned Prince An, who had been secluded indoors for a fortnight.

While waiting outside the hall earlier, everything was shrouded in darkness. Officials standing further back could not even discern Prince An's figure, and those closer, like Yan Xizheng and Lv Zan, could not make out his appearance either. Once inside the brightly lit hall, these senior officials secretly observed Prince An and noticed that his once thin face had gained some fullness, and his complexion was rosier!

Lv Zan: "..."

Good, very good. As long as his son-in-law had stepped down willingly, the new Crown Prince should not see him as a thorn in his side and would not regard Lv Zan as a general who might collude with the deposed Crown Prince to rebel!

The anxious Duke of Lü silently comforted himself.

From his dragon throne, Emperor Xingwu took one look at his eldest son's refreshed appearance and scoffed outright: "Well, turn around and let all the civil and military officials see! I’ve been so angered by you that I’ve been bedridden for half a month, while you’ve been eating and sleeping well, putting on weight. It seems that for the past over a decade, I really have been keeping you in a cage!"

Qin Hong's skin was not as thick as his third brother's. On the day he left the palace, he had been too excited, saying whatever came to mind without caring what the ministers thought. Now that he had calmed down, his sense of decorum and shame had returned. Mocked by his father like this, Qin Hong turned to show himself to the ministers with some embarrassment.

But it was only embarrassment, not regret.

After letting the ministers strain their necks and twist their bodies to look for a while, Qin Hong silently turned back and knelt on the ground: "Your son is unfilial, causing Imperial Father distress."

Emperor Xingwu: "Distress is distress. Anyway, I don’t have many years left. As long as you’ve escaped your suffering and live a long, healthy life, that’s fine."

At this, all the civil and military officials knelt, begging the Emperor not to speak such angry words.

Emperor Xingwu waved his hand, signaling everyone to rise, and sighed: "For Prince An alone, I really can’t summon any enthusiasm. But my Ling'er is returning to the capital. Ling'er has rendered the greatest service for Great Qi, securing at least twenty years of peace along the borders for our people. I should be happy to welcome her back, to welcome the victorious soldiers, not dampen their spirits by appearing sickly."

The ministers quickly offered congratulatory words to lift the Emperor’s mood.

Emperor Xingwu laughed for a while, then said to Prince An: "Deposing the Crown Prince is both a state matter and a family matter. I don’t want Ling'er and your second brother to misunderstand and think I heartlessly deposed you. So, leave the capital now to meet them. Make it clear to them in person. In a few days, return harmoniously with your siblings. Don’t let the people think our Qin family is staging a drama of family members killing each other for the throne."

Qin Hong: "Your son obeys the decree. Imperial Father rest assured, your son will explain clearly."

Emperor Xingwu nodded, then looked at the third son beside him: "You go with your elder brother. Remember to wear your cloak. My third son fears the cold—don’t freeze to death out there."

This was finally a reference to the two hand warmers the third son had tossed away earlier.

Qin Ren was so mocked he couldn’t lift his head, following behind his elder brother with downcast eyes. And Qin Hong, leading such a brother, did not appear especially dignified either.

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The two brothers, accompanied by a team of imperial guards, rode toward the north bank of the Yellow River. Meanwhile, Princess Qingyang’s army of seventy thousand continued marching toward the capital at a pace of sixty to seventy li per day.

Princess Qingyang did not know that her eldest and third brothers were on their way. As dusk fell at month’s end, the army was about to set up camp again. Because there would be a period of bustle, Princess Qingyang waited outside the camp first, with Qin Bing and Zhang Su accompanying her.

Princess Qingyang glanced at Zhang Su’s hands gripping the reins and asked: "Did you use the frostbite ointment I gave you?"

Marching in the depths of winter, many soldiers had developed frostbite, including Princess Qingyang. But as soon as it appeared, Jie Yu had dug out the frostbite ointment prepared by the imperial physicians, so Princess Qingyang’s hands and feet were not too severely affected.

Zhang Su’s hands were only slightly red and swollen. He hadn’t paid much attention to it himself and was surprised that the princess had noticed.

"I have, thank you for the medicine, Your Royal Highness," Zhang Su said respectfully.

Qin Bing wasn't afraid of the howling north wind, but Zhang Su's words made him uncomfortable. Rubbing his arm, he looked at Zhang Su and said, "Really? You're already engaged to my sister, and there are no outsiders here. Why are you still so formal?"

Zhang Su didn't respond. Even if Prince Jing weren't present, he wouldn't forget propriety in front of the princess.

Qingyang smiled, her eyes turning toward the gradually erected camp. Her memory drifted back to the day when Zhang Su and the Second Prince's surprise troops had just returned to the Jizhou camp. Mindful of her role as Military Supervisor and the dignity of a princess, she hadn't looked at Zhang Su too much, and Zhang Su had also kept his distance, never showing any intimacy befitting an engaged couple.

Qingyang liked this side of Zhang Su. She needed to establish authority in the army, not engage in flirtatious glances with her Imperial Son-in-law at every turn.

Just as they were about to enter the camp, a group of galloping horses suddenly appeared in the distance.

Fan Huaizhong, stationed a short distance away, immediately led his personal guards to protect the two royals.

Only after recognizing the faces of the Crown Prince and Prince Xian did Fan Huaizhong and his men retreat to their positions.

Qingyang urged her horse forward in delight. "Eldest Brother, Third Brother, what brings you here?"

Qin Hong smiled. "Father sent us to escort you part of the way."

Qin Ren couldn't bring himself to smile. His sister across from him had grown thinner and darker from the sun—clearly, she had endured much hardship. It pained him!

Just then, Prince Yong, Hou Wanzhong, Deng Kun, Fu Kui, Meng Changhe, Cheng Zhixu, and other military officers hurried over. Except for Prince Yong, who remained standing, the others knelt to pay respects to the Crown Prince.

Qin Ren felt even more heartache. Qin Hong said calmly, "Half a month ago, I resigned my position as Crown Prince to Father and have now been granted the title of Prince An. Since none of you were aware, there's no blame this time, but please don’t address me incorrectly in the future."

Hou Wanzhong and the others were speechless.

Prince Yong, Qin Bing, and even Zhang Su and Fan Huaizhong, whom Qin Hong had stopped from bowing earlier, all couldn't believe their ears.

Qin Hong said apologetically, "It's a long story. You'll learn the details once you return to the capital, so I won’t explain further."

Hou Wanzhong and the others didn’t dare press the Crown Prince for an explanation. They quickly composed themselves and escorted the five royal uncles and nephews into the main tent before taking their leave. As Deng Kun left, he instinctively glanced at Zhang Su, who met his gaze in confusion until Deng Kun looked away first.

Inside the main tent, Qin Hong recounted the entire story in detail to his closest relatives.

Prince Yong slammed the table in anger. "Such a trivial matter, and you resigned over it?"

Qin Hong replied, "It has nothing to do with this punishment. I’ve long been overwhelmed. Second Brother and Little Sister may not know about my chronic head ailments, but Uncle, you were in the capital all last year. Couldn’t you see that my health truly can’t handle it anymore?"

Prince Yong fell silent, not really wanting to speak. His eyelids drooped as he recalled his son’s analysis before leaving the capital about who would make a more favorable Crown Prince for his own interests.

The eldest nephew was the weakest and most likely to yield. The second nephew had a backbone as tough as his own. The third nephew had no backbone, but behind him stood a little niece with a spine even tougher than his.

Everything Qin Bing wanted to say had already been voiced by his uncle. Looking at his eldest brother, who was determined to resign as Crown Prince, and noticing his third brother’s dejected expression, Qin Bing suddenly had a startling thought. "If Eldest Brother won’t be Crown Prince, then who will? Ah, Eldest Brother, you’re not yielding the position to me because of my military achievements, are you? That won’t do—I only know how to fight. I can’t handle Crown Prince duties!"

He already found dealing with the civil officials during the southern inspection tour headache-inducing. Matching wits with senior ministers like Yan Xizheng every day would be beyond him.

Qin Ren abruptly looked up. "I can’t do it either! Whichever of you two wants it can have it. I’m not taking it!"

As the second nephew spoke, Prince Yong looked at him; when the third nephew spoke, Prince Yong looked at him. Seeing that neither wanted the position, Prince Yong breathed a sigh of relief and said to the eldest nephew, "You’re the eldest son. No matter how hard or exhausting it is, it’s your duty to bear it. It’s fine—after we return to the capital, I’ll speak to the Emperor on your behalf and ask him to reinstate you. Just don’t be too proud to accept."

Qin Bing and Qin Ren nodded in unison, then stared intently at their eldest brother to show their sincerity.

Qin Hong smiled. "If you don’t want me to peacefully remain Prince An, I’ll continue pleading with Father to strip me of my titles and make me a commoner. That should make you believe my resolve."

Qin Bing and Qin Ren fell silent.

Qin Hong said, "Enough. I only have the right to resign as Crown Prince, not to advise Father on who should be Crown Prince. Neither I nor any of you have that right—it’s Father’s concern. Just focus on your duties and avoid overstepping."

After dealing with his uncle and two younger brothers, Qin Hong finally had time to turn to his most reasonable younger sister.

Qingyang could see her eldest brother’s unwavering determination and smiled at him. "I’ll follow your lead, Eldest Brother. May you, free from headache troubles, live a long and healthy life."

Qin Hong had always known that among his siblings, his younger sister understood him best.

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With two imperial brothers by her side and the matter of the former Crown Prince, Qingyang had no opportunity to be alone with Zhang Su during the subsequent march. However, Zhang Su had always been composed. Even if he couldn’t guess the Emperor’s intentions, his cautious and disciplined nature would prevent any trouble.

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, the army, escorting the barely alive Yelu Chong and Yelu Xu brothers along with their wives, concubines, and children, was about to arrive in the capital.

As the Military Supervisor of the northern expedition, Qingyang wore the vivid yellow armor she had set out in, riding alone at the front. She listened as her second brother insisted that her eldest brother and uncle follow closely behind her, and as her eldest brother insisted on following behind his uncle and second brother alongside his third brother.

These were all familiar voices, reminding Qingyang of the scene where her three imperial brothers and uncle had argued and pushed the Crown Prince position among themselves.

At the time, Qingyang had found the four uncles and nephews quarrelsome—including her dearest third brother.

She was still close to her third brother and respected her eldest brother, but that didn’t stop her from finding them quarrelsome, just like the current back-and-forth, which was both noisy and ridiculous.

Because she was a younger sister, a princess, even though her virtue was renowned and her might shook the grasslands, did it never occur to them that she could be considered?

Patting her mount, which seemed equally disturbed by their noise, Qingyang lifted her head to gaze toward the capital.

It didn’t matter if they didn’t think of her. She was already ahead of them.