When Emperor Yongchang summoned Prince Qing to the palace for questioning last night, officials from all departments had already finished their duties. Aside from the Imperial Guards on duty and some palace servants inside, almost no one knew of this matter. Those Imperial Guards and palace servants who did know thoroughly understood the survival principle of keeping their mouths shut and absolutely dared not spread word without authorization.
There was no court assembly the next day. Officials who arrived at their offices before the second quarter of the chen hour weren’t considered late.
Usually Prince Kang would arrive about two quarters of an hour early. Today, thinking Father Emperor might summon him and Third Brother early for questioning, Prince Kang entered the palace gate at the first quarter of the chen hour and sat in the Ministry of Revenue’s office waiting.
Time passed bit by bit. Ministry of Revenue Right Vice Minister Liu, who shared the same office, was the second to arrive.
Minister Liu was forty years old. Like the left and right vice ministers of the other five ministries, he had ambitions to continue rising. So aside from needing good annual performance evaluations, he couldn’t be late or leave early during regular duties. Moreover, with Prince Kang who liked arriving early and leaving late in the office, Minister Liu persisted in arriving around the same time as Prince Kang each day.
No helping it—Minister of Revenue Meng Bing didn’t need to perform before Prince Kang, and Left Vice Minister Gu was practically half a father-in-law to Prince Kang, so he needn’t worry about being disliked by Prince Kang for arriving late. Only he had no connection to either side.
Having persisted all these years, Minister Liu hadn’t slacked off just because Prince Kang was out on assignment. He also didn’t know Prince Kang had already returned to the capital. After entering, he suddenly noticed that familiar figure sitting inside. Minister Liu’s heart jumped first, secretly rejoicing he hadn’t been lazy, then stepped forward to greet Prince Kang.
After another while, Minister Gu arrived. Seeing Prince Kang who’d been tanned even darker than when he returned from canal inspection last winter, Minister Gu froze.
His freezing made Prince Kang somewhat embarrassed. While on duty he hadn’t felt the hardship and had no inclination to admire himself in mirrors. Yesterday when he returned to his manor, his three children almost didn’t dare recognize him. The princess consort also seemed shy and embarrassed to look at him much, like when she’d just married over. Only then did Prince Kang realize just how dark his tan was.
Minister Gu asked about details of the Lingshan land reclamation and, learning this matter was feasible, felt deeply gratified.
At this moment, Emperor Yongchang’s verbal decree finally arrived, summoning Prince Kang to the Imperial Study.
Because the Ministry of Revenue was right next to the Ministry of Rites, after emerging Prince Kang deliberately waited a bit longer on the palace path, occasionally glancing toward the Ministry of Rites to the south.
The message-bearing eunuch guessed something and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, the emperor only summoned you alone.”
Prince Kang was slightly stunned, then thought perhaps Father Emperor wanted to question him and Third Brother separately?
He quickened his pace toward the inner palace.
Last night when Emperor Yongchang saw the tanned Third Son, his thoughts were entirely on whether Third Son had been involved in the Liangzhou canal destruction matter. Now seeing the tanned and exhausted Eldest Son, Emperor Yongchang felt only complete pride and gratification. Over five thousand mu of wild forest across dozens of mountain peaks—an arduous assignment most local officials would be too lazy to undertake—yet Eldest Son, a prince, could actually accomplish it without complaint.
If Second Son couldn’t emerge from the shadow of his leg ailment and he had to choose between Eldest Son and Third Son, Emperor Yongchang would hand the throne to Eldest Son. Because Eldest Son’s thinking was proper. As long as he left Eldest Son several worthy ministers, Eldest Son could be a preserving monarch under their assistance. Although Consort Xian had some ambition, on major matters of principle she wouldn’t act foolishly.
Switch to Third Son—Emperor Yongchang could also leave Third Son a batch of worthy ministers, but the moment he passed away, Third Son would dare dismiss them because their loyal words grated on his ears, then promote sycophantic officials skilled in flattery. Such a Third Son would inevitably ruin the realm he and the late emperor had worked so hard to revitalize.
After asking about the polygonatum and land reclamation situation, Emperor Yongchang asked, “What do you think of Xu Dongyang as a person?”
Prince Kang didn’t stint in praising Xu Dongyang thoroughly.
Emperor Yongchang nodded. “And Third Son—how did he handle this assignment?”
Prince Kang thought of Third Brother’s complaints and grumbling but said, “Third Brother is still young. Initially he wasn’t quite accustomed to the hardship of wind and sun, but he persisted through it all. Having undergone this tempering, if there are similar assignments in the future, Third Brother should be able to handle them independently.”
He had personally demonstrated once for Third Brother. If Third Brother still couldn’t learn from this, then he’d truly wasted his reputation for childhood cleverness.
His candor about Third Brother’s laziness was to avoid deceiving Father Emperor. Praising Third Brother was to prevent Father Emperor from suspecting he had intentions to slander Third Brother behind his back.
Emperor Yongchang praised Eldest Son’s kindness in his heart again.
“All right. At the Dragon Boat Festival I’ll summon Xu Dongyang to the palace for the banquet. At that time I’ll reward you all together. Before the festival, just rest at your manor and spend more time with your wife and children. After the festival I’ll transfer you to the Ministry of Personnel for practice.”
Discerning the truth or falsehood of local officials’ performance evaluations was also a field of study. Eldest Son was meticulous enough in his work and couldn’t tolerate the sand of high officials practicing nepotism in his eyes. At the Ministry of Personnel he could similarly display his strengths.
Compared to verbal praise, this kind of actual official position transfer and increase in training opportunities better demonstrated Father Emperor’s satisfaction with him!
Prince Kang’s eyes reddened. “This son is dull-witted and can only share Father Emperor’s burdens through such physical labor. This son is not tired and needs no leave.”
Emperor Yongchang smiled. “If you don’t rest, Third Son won’t dare rest. Aren’t you afraid he’ll complain about you?”
Only then did Prince Kang accept the command.
Before leaving the palace, he first went to pay respects to Empress Zhou and Consort Xian.
Consort Xian, like Consort Rou, lived in the West Palace. Being close, she could detect some movements, especially major matters like Zheng Yuanzhen and her son spending an entire day in Consort Rou’s palace.
Consort Xian as usual first asked about Emperor Yongchang’s conversation with her son. Learning that Emperor Yongchang was still covering up the abnormality of Prince Qing and his wife, she silently cooperated, smiling as she told her son to rest well.
Prince Kang happily took leave of Mother Consort. On his way out of the palace, thinking he hadn’t seen Second Brother for a month, Prince Kang deliberately detoured to the Ministry of Works to simply catch up with Second Brother.
“Time really flies. Jun’er’s features must have developed a bit more, right?”
“Mm. If Elder Brother misses him, in a few days on the rest day, you can bring Dun’geer to our place for a visit.”
Prince Kang: “Excellent! It’s settled then.”
After each briefly mentioning Lingshan’s polygonatum and the weapons workshop’s heavy explosives progress, the brothers parted.
Prince Kang didn’t mention Prince Qing much. Prince Hui naturally had no way of knowing what had happened to Prince Qing living in the east of the city. Not seeing Prince Qing at court assembly, he assumed Prince Qing, like Prince Kang, had been given leave by Father Emperor.
The twenty-eighth of the fourth month—at dusk Prince Hui returned to the manor. Having just changed into regular clothes in the front courtyard, he emerged to find the princess actually sitting in the main hall waiting, looking like she had something to tell him.
Zhao Sui pushed the wheelchair closer and asked, “What’s happened?”
The wheelchair stopped beside the princess’s armchair.
Yao Huang grasped Prince Hui’s hand resting on his knee. “This morning my mother came to see me and mentioned that both the princess imperial and Marquis Jining are ill. Their main gates have been closed these past days, declining visitors. Even my mother could know this, which shows even more people outside are spreading this news.”
Her own father was still that rank six hundredman, but some officials’ wives would actively curry favor with Mother because the Yao family had produced a princess consort and the son-in-law from Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. Without needing to send gifts, normally playing cards together, admiring flowers, drinking tea, and adding a few face-saving favors was good. Among them was Wang Shi, Li Tingwang’s mother, who greatly feared being suppressed and retaliated against by her.
Wang Shi had been a chiliarch’s wife for over twenty years. Her network among officials’ wives was far broader than Mother’s. This time, a lady Wang Shi knew lived on the same lane as Marquis Jining. Noticing the abnormality at Marquis Jining’s Manor, she shared it with other ladies. As word spread, they learned Princess Imperial Fucheng’s Manor was in the same situation.
Eventually this matter wound its way to Wang Shi’s ears. Wang Shi ran to inform Mother—if useful, it counted as a favor; if useless, just idle gossip.
“Does the prince know about this?” Yao Huang asked. Real illness or fake, this matter seemed suspicious.
Zhao Sui didn’t know. Marquis Jining had an empty title with low official rank and wasn’t qualified to attend court assemblies. He was someone rarely seen in person—how would Prince Hui pay attention? The princess imperial’s side was the same logic.
But Zhao Sui also realized this likely concealed some hidden circumstances.
He said to the princess, “If it were truly a severe illness requiring visits, the princess imperial’s manor would report to Father Emperor and Mother Empress. Mother Empress would remind us to go visit. Since Mother Empress hasn’t spoken, we’ll act as if we don’t know.”
Yao Huang nodded. Prince Hui understood imperial relatives’ matters better than her. In any case, she’d already mentioned it. Prince Hui would arrange what should be done.
Curious as she was, the princess imperial’s matters could hardly implicate their own household. Yao Huang wasn’t overly worried.
After one more day came the rest day. Prince Kang and Chen Ying brought young Crown Prince Dun’geer over.
Chen Ying was now five months pregnant—showing but not too much to affect movement. After Prince Kang took Jun’er, Chen Ying followed Yao Huang to the rear courtyard to talk.
The womenfolk gone, Prince Kang’s expression grew heavy. Frowning, he asked Second Brother, “Do you know about Aunt’s matter of closing her doors to visitors?”
Yesterday had been Side Consort Gu’s mother’s minor birthday. Side Consort Gu went to celebrate, then brought him back a major piece of news.
So during that month he was in Lingshan, something must have happened in the capital.
Zhao Sui looked surprised. “Closing doors to visitors?”
Prince Kang understood Second Brother had also been kept in the dark and quickly explained once.
Zhao Sui thought for a moment and shook his head. “I’ve been busy with the weapons workshop testing formulas and haven’t paid attention to anything else.”
Prince Kang didn’t doubt this, because Second Brother truly had such a temperament of not caring about matters unrelated to himself.
He continued voicing his speculation. “This time Third Brother and I handled the assignment together. Logically Father Emperor should have summoned both of us for questioning together, but that day going to and from the Imperial Study I didn’t encounter Third Brother. Could Third Brother also be connected to Aunt’s matter of closing her doors?”
That person Aunt—if she had a headache or fever, she’d immediately summon the imperial physician, making Father Emperor know she was ill so he’d quickly show concern. If she wasn’t ill, then only Father Emperor could force Aunt to be unable to leave her doors.
What major mistake could Aunt have committed to make Father Emperor so angry?
Prince Kang couldn’t figure it out no matter how he pondered.
Zhao Sui pointed out, “The Dragon Boat Festival is soon. If Aunt and Third Brother are fine, they’ll attend the banquet.”
Not attending meant something was wrong. If Father Emperor didn’t mention it, they shouldn’t ask too many questions either.
Even so, the two princes still sent Dragon Boat Festival gifts to Princess Imperial Fucheng’s Manor as usual. The princess imperial’s steward appeared to receive them, by custom invited the gift-delivering servants for tea, didn’t mention an extra word, and the gift-delivering servants stopped at the first courtyard without detecting any obvious abnormalities.
In the blink of an eye, the fifth of the fifth month arrived.
Prince Hui’s Manor arranged two carriages. Yao Huang and Prince Hui sat in the front one, the wet nurse holding Jun’er in the rear. After entering the palace, they’d let Emperor Yongchang dote on the little imperial grandson briefly, then the wet nurse could take the young prince to a side hall to rest. After all, a child just over two months old could neither understand willow shooting or polo, nor eat at the imperial banquet.
The carriage stopped before the palace gate. Yao Huang cooperated with Qing Ai in pushing Prince Hui down from the carriage. Upon reaching Qianyuan Hall, they saw Prince Kang’s family and Prince Qing’s family were both already there.
Drawing closer, Yao Huang was secretly alarmed.
She’d seen Prince Qing and Zheng Yuanzhen’s arrogant manner, seen their dejected appearance when meeting setbacks. But today’s couple wore matching deathly auras on their faces that no amount of forced cheerful smiles could conceal.