The Emperor’s return to the palace was the most pressing matter. No one dared to complain of hunger, unsure if His Majesty would summon officials for a meeting. Everyone tightened their belts and waited outside the study in Qianqing Palace. Meanwhile, the Empress was “attended to” by Cui Yijun in Kunning Palace, while the Prince of Liao was “resting” in Hongde Hall, surrounded by Imperial Guards.
The Emperor, looking a decade older, reclined weakly on the large kang by the window, his face weary. Wang Yuan, his neck wrapped in thick white cloth, carefully served tea without a word. The Emperor waved his hand, saying, “You may go rest now.”
Wang Yuan’s eyes moistened. The Emperor still intended to keep him in service! His allegiance to Song Yantang had not been in vain. He retreated with tears in his eyes.
The room fell silent, with only the Crown Prince standing respectfully before the Emperor.
The Emperor laughed self-mockingly, “I calculated that he wouldn’t dare kill me, but I never expected you’d think of this way to rescue me. However, by confining the Prince of Liao to his residence, aren’t you afraid of nurturing a tiger that may turn on you?” He fixed the Crown Prince with a piercing gaze.
The Crown Prince’s back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. After a moment’s thought, he replied earnestly, “I was so focused on rescuing Father Emperor that I hadn’t considered this. Now that you mention it, I think if the Fifth Prince couldn’t succeed with all the advantages he had in Liaodong, how could he cause trouble now, stripped of his support and confined to his residence? If he could still stir up trouble, it would be due to my lack of virtue and ability, and I couldn’t blame anyone else.”
The Emperor was surprised. His feelings toward the Crown Prince had always been complex, fearing he might be as willful as the Prince of Liao, yet worried he might be too weak to bear heavy responsibilities. But now, the Crown Prince appeared neither arrogant nor servile, instead showing a down-to-earth demeanor that impressed the Emperor. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Perhaps it was time to try letting go of some things.
The Emperor closed his eyes and said, “Have Wang Yuan come in to attend to me. I’m tired. You may withdraw.”
He hadn’t slept for two days and a night.
The Crown Prince, not daring to disturb him, respectfully complied and left the study. Standing in the wind outside, he finally felt the dampness on his back. He let out a long sigh and looked up to see the covered corridor packed with ministers and nobles, all staring at him expectantly, waiting for his decision.
The Crown Prince inwardly groaned. It was impossible to pretend nothing had happened after the Prince of Liao’s incident had caused such a stir. However, if they announced the Prince’s crimes to the world, his uncles and brothers might be tempted to rebel upon learning that the Prince of Liao was merely confined for his treason. Did he have to be on guard against thieves for a thousand days? This time, he had only discovered the Prince of Liao’s plot because of Ji Yong, and it was Song Mo’s loyalty that had saved him from disaster. If there was a next time, would he be so fortunate?
The Crown Prince’s head throbbed with pain.
He decided to call Ji Yong and Song Mo aside for a private discussion.
Ji Yong said, “What’s so difficult about this? We’ll just say the Emperor fell ill and secretly summoned the Prince of Liao back to the palace to attend to him. Whether the common people believe it or not is irrelevant. Given enough time, everyone will forget about it. Your Highness needn’t worry about it at all.”
Is that so?
The Crown Prince looked to Song Mo.
Song Mo smiled and said, “Minister Ji’s suggestion is reasonable.”
Could my idea be wrong?
Ji Yong stood by with a humble expression, but inwardly he was grumbling.
The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Then let’s do it this way! Have the Envoy Office draft a proclamation, and once the Emperor has rested, we’ll submit it for his review before posting it throughout the empire.” As he spoke, a hint of gloom crossed his features. “However, this means we won’t be able to reward everyone for their contributions.”
Who wouldn’t know how to play this long game?
Ji Yong quickly said, “This was merely our duty. Your Highness is too kind to consider rewarding us.”
Song Mo added, “The Imperial Guard must protect the Forbidden City, yet someone managed to infiltrate. We deserve death for our failure, how could we claim any merit?”
The Crown Prince, who had been worrying about not having anything to reward those who had saved him, was moved by their words. “Don’t worry, both of you. When the opportunity arises, I will certainly recommend you for titles!”
What’s the use of these empty promises now?
Ji Yong, feeling impatient, smiled and said, “I’ll go to the Envoys Office to take care of things. As for the Grand Secretaries, I’m afraid Minister Song will need to stay by Your Highness’s side to protect you—who knows how many people are hoping to use this incident to gain promotions and wealth!”
Go deal with those old fogies in the Grand Secretariat!
I’d rather not accompany you.
He glanced at Song Mo.
Song Mo stood there smiling, still maintaining his calm and unruffled demeanor.
Ji Yong couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
The Crown Prince had already said, “Then please go ahead and take care of it.”
Ji Yong acknowledged the order and left.
Song Mo accompanied the Crown Prince to the side chamber where they had been meeting before the Emperor’s return to discuss matters.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had decided to conceal the Prince of Liao’s treason, Liang Jifen’s attitude became not only firm but also vehement: “How can this be allowed?! The Prince of Liao has committed an unforgivable crime! If this matter gets out, where will the royal family’s face be? Where will Your Highness’s authority be?”
Song Mo, who had already been holding a grudge against Liang Jifen, saw this as the perfect opportunity to strike. He smiled and interrupted Liang Jifen’s words: “Minister Liang, why didn’t you say anything when His Highness asked everyone to find a way to welcome the Emperor back to the palace? Now that the Emperor has returned, you start picking faults. This is a family matter for the Emperor, and you shouldn’t interfere. The Crown Prince has his plans.”
“You…” Liang Jifen’s face turned red with anger.
As a successful candidate in both imperial examinations and later a Grand Secretary, it had been many years since anyone had openly mocked him like this. Although he knew he should swallow his pride given the changing of the guard, the thought of Song Mo, barely out of his teens, daring to criticize him in front of the Crown Prince was too much to bear. He couldn’t help but retort, “What nonsense are you speaking, Minister Song? How can this be merely the Emperor’s family matter? The Prince of Liao’s treason shakes the very foundations of our country. He should be executed to serve as a warning to others…”
Yao Shizhong lowered his head, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.
This Song Yantang, whom he had thought to be merely the son of a meritorious family, turned out to be quite skilled at stirring up trouble.
The Crown Prince had just come into power and needed to establish his authority. Liang Jifen’s stubborn attitude was unlikely to please him.
He glanced at the Crown Prince.
Sure enough, the Crown Prince’s expression had darkened.
A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes as he smoothed his sleeves, about to speak up in support. Unexpectedly, Dou Shizhu, who had been sitting silently beside him, suddenly said, “Minister Liang, no one feels more heartbroken about the Prince of Liao’s treason than His Highness. But His Highness, with his benevolent heart and filial piety, put aside personal feelings for the Emperor’s safety, successfully welcoming him back to the palace. Minister Liang, you said nothing before, so what’s the point of pursuing right and wrong now?” He bowed to the Crown Prince and continued, “People are fickle by nature. It’s natural for the citizens to discuss unusual events in the capital, but the less attention we pay, the less they’ll care. The more seriously we treat it, the more curious they’ll become. I think His Highness’s plan is excellent!”
The Crown Prince’s expression softened.
Yao Shizhong, regretting his missed opportunity, quickly said, “I also think His Highness’s plan is good.” He added, “The Emperor has been exhausted from his journey these past few days, and we shouldn’t disturb him. However, this matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later. I suggest Your Highness have people spread the news while waiting for the Emperor to wake up before officially announcing it to the empire. This way, we can accomplish both tasks without delay.”
Dai Jian regretted his silence so much that he wished he could turn into a needle and disappear into the ground, hunching his shoulders and saying nothing.
Mu Chuan and the others all expressed their agreement.
The Crown Prince was very pleased and assigned the task of spreading the news to Song Mo.
For the next few days, Song Mo alternated between resting at his office and in the palace.
Since the Prince of Liao had supposedly come to attend to the ill Emperor, not only was there no reward for Song Mo, but he was also tasked with all the unsavory duties—arranging for the wounded and dead Imperial Guards, figuring out how to request bereavement funds from the Ministry of Revenue, and repairing the damaged palace gates. Song Mo wished he had three heads and six arms to handle everything.
Dou Zhao had no choice but to occasionally send clean clothes and food to him.
The wives of various nobles, including the Marchioness of Changxing, came to visit her, hoping to glean some news about the palace situation.
Dou Zhao used her pregnancy as an excuse to avoid overexertion and turned them all away.
As autumn winds began to blow and Song Mo’s work was nearly complete, news came from the palace that the Emperor was unwell and had appointed the Crown Prince as regent. The Emperor would move to the Western Palace on the second day of the ninth month.
Dou Zhao was surprised and asked Song Mo, “Did you know about this beforehand?”
“I just heard about it too,” Song Mo said thoughtfully. “It must have been a last-minute decision by the Emperor.”
Dou Zhao asked, “Does this mean the Prince of Liao will return to his residence?”
The Prince of Liao had been in the palace all this time, while the Empress was in Cining Palace. The Third Princess had tried to visit the Empress but was scolded by the Empress Dowager, who told her not to wander around and assigned palace maids to watch her as she copied “The Female Admonitions” a hundred times as punishment.
The Third Princess was humiliated but had no choice but to seclude herself like other royal women, not daring to go anywhere.
“That depends on the Emperor’s mood,” Song Mo replied. “Although the Prince of Liao is staying in Qianqing Palace, the Emperor has ignored him completely. The palace servants dare not serve him tea, or food, or help him with grooming and dressing. I heard he’s even developed lice.”
“Really?” Dou Zhao’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“It’s true,” Song Mo said. “A phoenix without feathers is worse off than a chicken. Sometimes they’re even worse off than common people!”
“He deserves it!” Dou Zhao had never liked the Prince of Liao, neither in her previous life nor in this one.
Song Mo went to see Jiang Bosun: “I mentioned your situation to the Crown Prince a few days ago, explaining that without your information, we would never have known about the Prince of Liao’s arrival in the capital. The Crown Prince asked me to inquire about your plans. If you wish to restore your family’s reputation, it might take a few more years. If you just want to return to Huzhou, he can ask the Emperor for this favor.”
Jiang Bosun’s external injuries had mostly healed, but his internal injuries would take at least a year or more to recover fully.
“I think I’ll return to Liaodong,” he smiled. “Without the Prince of Liao, it must be in chaos. The Prince’s heir is only five years old and doesn’t understand anything. The Koreans won’t miss this opportunity. Rather than waiting for the Crown Prince to plead on my behalf, I’d rather lead the Jiang family’s sons to the battlefield. We Jiangs have never been afraid of death. Only on the battlefield can we truly restore our family’s honor! That’s a glory that neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince can erase!”
Song Mo’s expression changed slightly. He said, “You should discuss this with your aunt first!”
All the adult males of the Jiang family were in Liaodong.
Going to the battlefield inevitably meant casualties.
If something were to happen, what would become of the Jiang family?
Moreover, Jiang Bosun had never been on a battlefield before.