Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Listening to the Crown Prince's high-sounding words, Han Zhang found them utterly ridiculous.

To be honest, he'd never wanted any part of the Crown Prince's succession fight, nor did he want to climb aboard that ship.

Because since ancient times, the credit for helping a new emperor take the throne was never easy to claim. But Emperor Taixuan had shoved him right up to the Crown Prince's side, so he had no choice but to get on board.

Back during the drum-beating incident at the gate, he'd seen how the Crown Prince was willing to swallow his pride, and he'd thought this man was worth backing.

But ever since the Crown Prince quietly allowed Chang Gongjun Jiayou to get close to his husband, Han Zhang had started re-evaluating this "master" of his—and now the results proved the Crown Prince was truly useless for any major responsibility.

Being emotional wasn't a problem;

Being protective of his own people wasn't a problem either;

A boss with loyalty and a sense of honor was actually the kind you could follow without worry.

But as it turned out, the Crown Prince's virtue and generosity were all just an act.

The Crown Prince knew full well he was a stubborn man, yet he still let his mother and younger brother pressure him. Sure, there was a selfish motive in valuing family ties, but more than that, it showed the Crown Prince simply didn't give a damn about him.

He figured Han Zhang could be replaced, that since he'd already pissed off the nobles and aristocratic families, the Eastern Palace was his only option;

He figured that Han Zhang getting to serve the Eastern Palace was Han Zhang's lucky break;

He figured that thunder and rain, favor and fury, were all the sovereign's grace—if the sovereign wanted his minister dead, the minister had no choice but to die!

Han Zhang lowered his eyes, his gaze ice-cold. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tight, nails digging deep into his palm.

He was silent for a long moment.

Then he lifted his robe and knelt, but his back stayed ramrod straight, his voice calm as he said: "Your Highness, please understand. Your subject comes from humble beginnings, and by the Emperor's grace, I was able to pass the imperial exams. I know full well that loyalty to the sovereign and serving the imperial family is the only way to repay such grace."

"But my husband and I were wed by our parents' arrangement and the matchmaker's word, and our hearts are bound in deep love. I swore before Heaven and Earth and my ancestors that in this life, he alone is my partner, and I will never betray him."

"If I broke my vow to climb into the royal family's favor and marry Chang Gongjun, that would be unjust; if I wronged my husband of humble origins for my own advancement and wealth, that would be unkind. How could such an unjust and unkind man stand in court, serve Your Highness, and share the Emperor's burdens?"

"Chang Gongjun is of noble jade lineage, and I truly don't dare to reach so high. My heart already holds my beloved, and there's no room for a second. If we married under duress, it would also be a betrayal to Chang Gongjun. This heavenly favor... I truly don't have the fortune to accept it. I beg Your Highness to reconsider."

"Reconsider?"

The Crown Prince's gaze darkened. He finally set down his teacup, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and said in a low voice:

"Master Han, do you know the consequences of refusing the imperial family's grace? You studied hard for over a decade, finally passed the exams, and have a bright future ahead—and you'd throw it all away for a Shen Qinglan? Aren't you betraying the kindness of your parents who raised you, and the nurturing of me and the Emperor?"

Han Zhang felt a lump in his throat.

Yes, he was betraying the Han family by doing this. But what nurturing had this father-and-son imperial pair ever given him?

Was it the kind of "nurturing" that meant "offend the nobles and aristocratic families, and die without a burial place in the future"?

Don't tell me that even though this path was dangerous, it still gave him a chance to rise.

—If he hadn't had so many cards up his sleeve, this path would've led him straight to a dead end!

Look at those in history who'd offended interest groups—Shang Yang, Fan Zhongyan, Zhang Juzheng... which of them ended up well?

His heart was churning with fury, but on the surface, he still had to put on a show.

Han Zhang continued with clasped hands, speaking in an open and honest tone:

"The kindness of my parents who gave me life, the kindness of Your Highness's promotion, the kindness of the Emperor's recognition—I hold all of these in my heart and dare not forget for a moment. But besides filial piety and loyalty to the sovereign, there are also the two words 'faith' and 'righteousness.'"

"If I cannot even keep my promise to the one who shares my pillow, then how can I convince my colleagues to trust me in the future? How can I convince the people under my governance to trust me? And how can Your Highness trust me?"

"A man who betrays his word—even if he had talents that could order heaven and earth, would Your Highness... dare to use him?"

Of course he wouldn't dare.

So whether he agreed to marry Chang Gongjun or not, the Crown Prince had already decided not to employ him again.

But his unyielding attitude also made the Crown Prince's blood boil.

His imperial younger brother was willing to stoop to being a Co-Husband, and he himself had pleaded so earnestly—yet Han Zhang still had such a hard backbone. Was his brother truly so unworthy in his eyes?

And Jiayou, who had been hiding behind the screen, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed out, his face full of humiliation, and demanded:

"Han Qinzhang, what exactly is wrong with me that you despise me to such a degree? You would rather destroy your future and implicate the nine clans than have me! Or was everything you said before about not caring about my past all lies, just treating me like a fool?"

Aside from his past, he couldn't understand why Han Zhang would rather defy the imperial decree than marry him as a Co-Husband.

His looks, his family background—how was he inferior to Shen Qinglan in any way?

As for sincerity, he genuinely loved Han Zhang. He was willing to give up his status as a Gongjun for him, willing to stand on equal footing with the son of a minor official. Why was Han Zhang so resistant to him?

Facing Chang Gongjun Jiayou's furious questioning, Han Zhang's expression remained calm, neither humble nor overbearing as he said:

"Gongjun, Your Highness is not lacking in any way. It's just that matters of the heart cannot be measured by such standards. My heart holds only my husband. Even if a goddess descended to earth, she could not change my original heart."

"Nor am I as good as Your Highness imagines me to be. If you insist on pressing this matter, I fear I can only atone with my death, to somewhat appease the imperial family's wrath."

Han Zhang's gaze was calm and resolute, as if he truly would immediately die to atone if they pressed him further.

Even if he died, he would not marry this Chang Gongjun.

"You—you—"

Jiayou's eyes reddened with anger. He stared hard at Han Zhang's calm, unruffled face, trying to find a crack in his pretense—even a hint of bluffing or wavering—but in the end, he saw nothing.

Those eyes that had always been calm, carrying a gentle and hearty smile, were now as still as a frozen deep pool, reflecting not a single ripple, showing him not a trace of warmth.

He knew well that Han Zhang and Shen Qinglan were deeply in love, but he had always believed that deep affection could not outweigh the calculations of reality, especially in the face of an imperial decree.

He had thought Han Zhang would understand, would accept this "grace" as it came, even if unwilling, he would eventually bow his head.

But this man would rather walk his path to a dead end than marry him.

Was he truly so contemptible in his eyes?

"Fine, fine, fine..."

Jiayou's lips trembled, his voice mixed with sobs and hatred:

"Since you say so, I... I will not force you. I only hope you remember the words you spoke today, and do not regret them in the future!"

With that, he turned and ran out crying.

Empress Zhang called out anxiously from behind: "Jiayou, Jiayou..."

The room fell into silence.

After a long moment, the Crown Prince looked deeply at him and asked again, "You truly would rather give up everything than marry Jiayou?"

"Yes."

Han Zhang replied with unwavering firmness, his gaze calmly meeting the Crown Prince's. "Whether it be thunder or rain, favor or wrath, all is the sovereign's grace. If Your Majesty and Your Highness see fit to punish me for this, I will accept it willingly. But what I have done, I do with a clear conscience."

He was every inch the fearless young man, a true rookie who didn't know when to back down.

"..."

The Crown Prince stared at him in silence for a long while.

Finally, he waved his hand, his tone carrying a faint weariness and distance: "Enough. Since your mind is made up, I will not force the matter. What happened today ends here. You may take your leave."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Han Zhang kowtowed, rose, and bowed—each motion deliberate and exact.

He turned and left without a hint of hesitation or reluctance, his back straight with unwavering resolve.

The Crown Prince watched his retreating silhouette and sighed.

Master Han was talented, but his temperament was too unbending. From now on, there would be little chance of mending their relationship as sovereign and subject.

Well, then again—with such a disposition, trouble was inevitable sooner or later. Letting him go now might not be a bad thing.

"Instruct the relevant officials that once Han Qinzhang takes up his post at the Hanlin Academy, there is no need to look after him."

The Crown Prince waved his hand with a faint command.

Given Han Zhang's past merits, the Crown Prince would not move against him, but the protection he had once extended was no longer warranted.

...

Han Zhang could guess what the Crown Prince's next orders would be, but he paid it no mind.

After all, he had anticipated this outcome before he even arrived.

Fairness was always a concession granted by the strong to the weak.

There was no true right or wrong in this world—only whose fist was harder.

Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp—that was the eternal law of the jungle.

It was a classic case of "hardship breeds survival, comfort breeds ruin."

Or perhaps life after transmigration had been too comfortable, making him forget the survival instincts he'd honed while walking the edge of a blade in his past life. That was why his husband had suffered such humiliation at the hands of the powerful.

The Crown Prince and Empress Zhang were not wrong to use their authority to pressure others for the sake of their loved ones—who in this world could claim to be without selfish motives?

So then, if he were to commit an act of defiance in the future for the sake of his husband, surely he could not be blamed either, right?

Stepping out of the Eastern Palace, Han Zhang glanced back.

Behind him rose the majestic palace, resplendent and golden—the embodiment of the realm's supreme authority...

He gazed at it silently for a long time, then slipped back into his customary gentle smile and turned to board the carriage home.

On the way, he even stopped by the Eight Delicacies Bakery to buy the pastries his husband loved most.

Not a trace of worry about having offended the imperial family could be seen on his brow.

But Shen Qinglan, waiting anxiously at home for news, was pacing back and forth. Even seeing his husband return safe and sound, the worry on his face did not fade.

"Husband, how did it go? Did the Crown Prince give you a hard time?"

"Chang Gongjun Jiayou is the Crown Prince's biological brother, and the Crown Prince has always been protective of him. Naturally, he was displeased that I insisted on refusing the marriage. But since I rendered great service to the Eastern Palace before, at most he will simply stop promoting me in the future."

Han Zhang did not hide the bad news to spare his feelings—he did not want his husband to suffer, but he also did not want to coddle him into uselessness.

What he needed to know, he should know, lest he let his guard down and be harmed without even realizing it.

As for how the noble families he had offended before would seek revenge now that he had lost the Eastern Palace's protection—there was no need to bring that up and frighten his husband for now.

Han Zhang ruffled his beloved's hair and sighed softly, "It's just... the honorary title I promised to secure for you—I'm afraid it will be difficult now. And your father's side will likely be implicated because of us as well."

But none of this bothered Shen Qinglan.

He nestled happily in Han Zhang's arms and smiled, "It's fine. As long as I can be with you, husband, I'd even be willing to eat nothing but gruel and wild greens!"

As for his father—he was hardly the only one in the family who dragged them down. With his abilities, he would surely manage to get through it.

And if he could not, then he could only blame his bad luck for having fathered this brood of "blessings."

Shen's father: ...

A pack of ungrateful children!