Hua Bailin entered through the gate and found his elder sister waiting there. Assuming she wanted to ask about Shizi, he said at once: “Shizi has not left yet.”
“Is Sun Furen well?”
Hua Bailin’s smile faded. “When she heard the news, she dropped her teacup. Since then she has not lost her composure. She even asked me to comfort the Crown Prince and encourage him.”
Hua Zhi was not surprised. Sun Furen had held the Sun household together alone in the capital — without being strong enough, she could not have endured this long. Yet hers was only a bearing sustained by sheer will. Inside, she had likely long grown numb from the pain.
“Ying Chun, first thing tomorrow morning, go and inform Fourth Aunt. Ask her to go to the Sun household and lend a hand. Whether or not there is anything for her to do, she must be present.”
“Yes.”
Hua Bailin was puzzled. “Is this to make clear where our Hua family stands? But General Sun died in service to the nation — does that not make him a hero?”
“You will know by tomorrow.”
And Hua Bailin did indeed know by the following day.
At the Grand Court Assembly, the news of General Sun’s death fell like a thunderclap out of a clear sky, sending the officials into an uproar. When the circumstances of his death became known, exactly as the Crown Prince had foreseen, someone lost no time in coming forward to assign guilt to General Sun — though of course, given that General Sun was the Crown Prince’s maternal grandfather, this assignment of guilt was framed with considerable delicacy.
Even so, the Crown Prince felt fury rise within him. He stood and looked down upon the assembled ministers from his elevated position. “By the sound of it, General Sun not only has no merit — he is actually at fault?”
Every minister in the hall had a keen sense of the room. The entire chamber fell silent.
“Then would some honored minister please enumerate his crimes before this court.”
No one dared to take up that invitation.
The Crown Prince gave a cold laugh. “Is guarding the frontier for twenty years a crime? Is living separated from one’s wife and children a crime? Is it a crime to use one’s own silver to supplement the troops when provisions arrive late? Since all of it is wrong — then why not simply hand over Guya Pass to the enemy?”
The ministers dropped to their knees in unison. “This minister does not dare suggest any such thing.”
“This court sees that you dare quite a great deal.” In no more than a few short days, all traces of youth had vanished from the Crown Prince’s face. Standing in this great hall, he had gradually begun to possess a bearing entirely his own. Zhu Bowen, kneeling on the floor, had a sudden realization: while they had all been contemplating how to maintain a harmonious relationship between sovereign and ministers with a young and inexperienced crown prince, the Crown Prince had quietly passed through the phase when he was most vulnerable to being managed by his court. He had taken firm hold of the court now.
If Daqing could come through this ordeal intact, it was not inconceivable that a great and prosperous ruler might be on his way.
Into the heavy silence, the Duke of Dingguo spoke. “Your Highness, please calm your anger. The most pressing matter at hand is to appoint a replacement commander, so that Guya Pass is not left vulnerable.”
The Crown Prince made a cool sound and sat back down, his tone neither warm nor cold. “The Grand Preceptor’s words are sensible. What suitable candidates do the ministers have to suggest?”
The military officials exchanged glances. Those who thought themselves possible candidates already had sweat showing at their temples.
The civil officials’ gazes slid quietly from one person to another, weighing up who could be pushed forward to take on this troublesome burden.
“This minister volunteers.” A voice, somewhat low in register, broke the silence without warning. Everyone looked up in surprise. This was…
The Crown Prince stared in stunned silence at the figure who had stepped out from the ranks. It was not as though the idea had never occurred to him. When he had found no military commander capable of taking over, he had thought of Shizi — and had anticipated that someone else might put his name forward. What he had not anticipated was that Shizi would step forward himself, before anyone else had so much as opened their mouth.
He was the Regent Prince, Shizi, Commander of the Seven Constellations Bureau — second to none in rank, above all others in standing. A man of his stature had no obligation to place himself in such a dangerous position. Yet he had stepped forward. Without needing to be pushed. Before many in the hall had even thought to consider him.
The Duke of Dingguo’s feelings were conflicted. In the depths of his heart, he too was reluctant to see one of the imperial family’s rare capable men placed in that position — and yet… there was truly no one else to send.
A long silence settled over the vast palace hall, as though even breathing had grown softer.
“Regent Prince, you…” The Crown Prince cleared his throat. “Have you thought this through?”
The corner of Gu Yanxi’s mouth curved into a slight smile as he said something that left every military official present without a shred of dignity to spare. “Aside from myself, this minister cannot think of anyone else capable of replacing General Sun.”
The entire body of military ministers felt simultaneously mortified and profoundly relieved. They were all silently praying that the Crown Prince would accept without delay. And accept he did — both for public and private reasons, he had no grounds to refuse.
In the imperial study, the Crown Prince looked at Shizi — a man from whose expression nothing could ever be read — and felt the corners of his own mouth move in something less than a full smile. “I must admit, I feel somewhat relieved. If it had been anyone else going, I would have been anxious enough to start selecting their replacement before they had even departed.”
“Please have the Crown Prince mobilize troops to the front with all speed for reinforcement. This minister departs in two days.”
“Shizi-ge, rest assured. I will give you my full support from within the court.”
Gu Yanxi believed this. He would not have agreed to take on this disaster in the first place without confidence that his rear was secure. He looked at the tactical map that had never been put away and said, “When the late Emperor asked this minister and the Duke of Dingguo to jointly manage state affairs, he had one handling matters within the court and one handling matters beyond it. The Duke of Dingguo’s loyalty is beyond question — yet the Crown Prince must also bear in mind that ambition can sometimes be something that others cultivate in a man. The Crown Prince must not fall into this error.”
“I understand. Imperial Tutor has already cautioned me on this.”
Gu Yanxi heard that particular form of address and quietly savored it for a moment before continuing: “Although the late Emperor stipulated that Imperial Tutor may not participate in governance, since instruction is her appointed responsibility, certain matters could hardly be called participation in governance at all.”
“I understand. Shizi-ge need not worry. I will take good care of Imperial Tutor.”
Who would be taking care of whom was genuinely uncertain — Gu Yanxi, who knew Ah-Zhi’s character well, did not say as much aloud. He gave a nod and continued: “Should anything happen in the capital while I am away, the Crown Prince would do well to listen carefully to Imperial Tutor’s counsel. If others oppose her at that time, I ask that the Crown Prince think carefully on her character. From the moment she stepped forward to the present day, though she has borne wound after wound, a closer look at everything she has done reveals that she has nearly always calculated without error — never once ending up on the losing side. The burdens pressing down on her now are heavier still, and the matters resting on her shoulders more numerous. She will be even less inclined to act rashly. But should she make a move, it will be because she has sensed something. Please, place your trust in her.”
The Crown Prince listened intently and gave his solemn agreement. He understood: this was Shizi-ge’s entrustment to him.
“There is one more matter.”
“Please speak, Shizi-ge.”
“There may be something irregular about Prince Ling’s household.”
The Crown Prince’s eyes went wide. Prince Ling’s household?
“The matter is still being investigated. Imperial Tutor will keep watch over it. Should it truly be confirmed, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will need to be approached — and I ask that the Crown Prince take point on that matter, with Ah-Zhi kept out of it.”
The Crown Prince grasped the delicacy of this immediately and nodded. “I know what to do. Is there anything else you need from me?”
Gu Yanxi rose to his full height and performed a deep, formal bow. “Whatever the circumstances, I ask that the Crown Prince extend an extra measure of care to Imperial Tutor. Her body cannot withstand any further strain.”
The Crown Prince stepped forward and raised him up. “I give you my word — I will do everything within my power to protect Imperial Tutor.”
“This minister is grateful to the Crown Prince.”
“Do not say such things to me, Shizi-ge. You are going to rescue the dynasty from the brink — if I refused even this, I would not deserve the title of person.” The Crown Prince gave a wry smile. “Does Imperial Tutor know about this?”
“She has guessed.”
Of course she had — a person of Imperial Tutor’s acuity could hardly fail to guess. And so that was why, yesterday, she had come to the palace to request a visit to the Hua family’s old residence and its Library Tower. The Crown Prince did not know how to face Imperial Tutor anymore.