Erecting a stele can make one’s name endure for a thousand years, and an imperially bestowed plaque with words of praise can also be passed down generation after generation as a family heirloom, bringing glory to the family gate.

Even those occupying the highest positions in the court like the two Prime Ministers had never received such commendation. Watching two eunuchs carry the plaque down the steps, watching Emperor Yongchang’s personally written four characters “Wholehearted Devotion to the People” draw closer and closer to them, several high officials in the front rows all showed expressions of envy.

The plaque stopped before Xu Dongyang.

Xu Dongyang raised his head. Two streams of clear tears hung on his square face, which was tanned even darker than the two princes from two consecutive years of toiling in the wilderness. Looking up at the Emperor on the platform, Xu Dongyang slowed his speech to conceal his choking emotion: “Your Majesty’s words are ones this humble subject will never forget for the rest of his life. For the remainder of my days I will uphold a heart devoted to the people. However, this humble subject receives Your Majesty’s commendation with shame and absolutely dare not accept it.”

No one noticed that after he spoke these words, the eyelids of Prince Hui sitting in his wheelchair lowered even further.

Emperor Yongchang merely smiled as he looked at Xu Dongyang, saying: “No need to decline. I have always been clear in rewards and punishments. Today you have done well as a parent official, so I reward you. If in the future you become lax and negligent, causing the mountain full of solomon’s seal to come to nothing, betraying the expectations I’ve placed in you, the silver stipend the court has issued, and the hard work of the local people, I will also take back this plaque bestowed today and punish you severely.”

Xu Dongyang kowtowed: “This humble subject dare not. This humble subject will certainly exert every effort to ensure those several thousand mu of solomon’s seal achieve a bountiful harvest. However, the great talent who investigated the growth conditions of solomon’s seal, cleared four fen of land to trial-plant it, and proposed clearing wasteland throughout Lingshan to grow medicinal herbs is another person. This humble subject only wholeheartedly promoted this matter at his request. Therefore, when Your Majesty attributes all the credit to this humble subject alone, only then does this humble subject feel ashamed and dare not accept.”

The civil and military officials: “…”

Why did this scene seem somewhat familiar?

On the platform, Prince Kang and Prince Qing simultaneously looked toward Prince Hui sitting between them. The former’s eyes were full of shock, while the latter was both shocked and resentful. He knew it—this matter was done by Second Brother again. How hateful that even when he had asked Second Brother directly to his face, Second Brother had still deceived him!

On the female relatives’ side, Yao Huang’s heartbeat suddenly quickened. Was Xu Dongyang about to mention Prince Hui?

At this point, Yao Huang actually didn’t dare look toward Prince Hui and only secretly clenched her hands.

The hundred officials buzzed with discussion for a while, then looked toward Emperor Yongchang on the platform, only to see that Emperor Yongchang had changed from his previous cheerful expression to one of displeasure: “Is that so? Which great talent is concealing their abilities again, causing me to praise the wrong person and bestow the plaque to the wrong person?”

Starting from the Left Prime Minister, Emperor Yongchang began coldly surveying them one by one.

Looking at each caused them to kneel. Just as Xu Dongyang was preparing to clarify, Prince Hui in his wheelchair opened his mouth shamefacedly: “This son has committed the crime of deceiving the sovereign. I request Father Emperor’s punishment.”

Emperor Yongchang turned around. Seeing his second son bracing the wheelchair armrests as if about to kneel down for him, he said coldly: “Enough. Sit and speak. How is it you again this time?”

Zhao Sui released the force from his arms. Of course he had to answer when Father Emperor questioned him, but how to begin such self-praising matters, where to begin—these weren’t things that could just roll off the tongue, especially when Father Emperor had long known the truth and was only having him cooperate in this performance now.

Prince Hui couldn’t manage self-praising matters. Sitting silently with lowered eyes while being stared at by everyone made it seem like he was a criminal. Not knowing that Emperor Yongchang was only feigning anger, Yao Huang couldn’t stand watching anymore. She stood up: “Father Emperor, this daughter-in-law knows the whole story from when Second Prince thought of this method to when he entrusted this matter to County Magistrate Xu. Second Prince is not skilled with words. Would Father Emperor like to hear from this daughter-in-law?”

Emperor Yongchang sneered coldly, glaring at her: “Very well! You husband and wife colluded with Xu Dongyang to deceive me together. Watching me make a fool of myself here is quite entertaining, isn’t it?”

Yao Huang’s heart trembled at the scolding. She finally understood what it meant that accompanying the sovereign was like accompanying a tiger. Previously when this Emperor father-in-law gave her various rewards, how generous and amiable he had been, but this…

Empress Zhou stepped forward in time, gripping Yao Huang’s hand soothingly, then said to Emperor Yongchang: “Your Majesty, Prince Hui is absolutely not someone who would deliberately deceive the sovereign. Why not first listen to the Princess Consort explain the cause and effect clearly? If Prince Hui truly has committed an offense, it won’t be too late for Your Majesty to punish him then. Don’t you agree?”

Emperor Yongchang snorted and returned to sit on the dragon throne, letting his daughter-in-law speak.

Yao Huang had indeed been frightened by Emperor Yongchang’s imperial majesty, but she felt no guilt whatsoever about this matter. Looking gratefully at Empress Zhou, Yao Huang walked to Prince Hui’s wheelchair and began speaking loudly, starting from when the couple was summering at Lingshan and one day Prince Hui suddenly kept staring at the mountain: “…I thought Second Prince wanted to climb the mountain! Who would have imagined that within a few days Second Prince summoned Physician Li Dechun from the residence and sent him up the mountain to observe solomon’s seal…”

“After learning of this matter, I thought Second Prince wanted to buy a mountain himself to plant and sell solomon’s seal. I was even happy that the residence would have another enterprise! But Second Prince said the common people lived close to the mountains, it would be more convenient for them to plant solomon’s seal, and if they grew it well they could also have additional income.”

“When Second Prince wanted to give the credit to County Magistrate Xu, I felt a bit aggrieved on his behalf, because the method was thought up by Second Prince. I wanted the Lingshan people to all praise Second Prince’s goodness. Second Prince said this was originally the duty of the local county magistrate—he couldn’t overstep his authority. I said, ‘Then petition Father Emperor to appoint you as an imperial commissioner! Father Emperor would definitely agree.’ Second Prince then said this matter would take five or six years—he didn’t have that energy…”

“Second Prince also counseled me, telling me not to just think about the benefits of success. Clearing wasteland would require County Magistrate Xu to go through considerable trouble to implement it… Second Prince said he was already honored as a Prince of First Rank and didn’t need political achievements as icing on the cake. Better to use this matter to temper a county magistrate. If it succeeded, the court could gain another practical official…”

Having listened to many storytellers in teahouses, Yao Huang’s recounting was vivid and lifelike, displaying the Princess Consort’s several moments of pleasant surprise and disappointment, and Prince Hui’s indifference to fame and fortune to the fullest extent. It made the officials below feel as if they too had been aggrieved once along with the Princess Consort, then indifferent once along with Prince Hui.

Even Emperor Yongchang, who had already heard this from his second son, still listened with relish when his daughter-in-law told it, yet had to pretend to appear unmoved.

Seeing this, Yao Huang said quietly: “Father Emperor being angry at Second Prince’s concealment is justified. But Second Prince also acted according to Father Emperor’s teaching of wholehearted devotion to the people without seeking fame or profit. Balancing merits and faults, Father Emperor, for the sake of that mountain full of solomon’s seal, won’t you stop being angry?”

Emperor Yongchang said indifferently: “You certainly talk a lot.”

Yao Huang then smiled as if she’d received praise.

Emperor Yongchang used his eyes to signal his daughter-in-law to return to her seat. Coming again to the front of the platform, he said to Xu Dongyang still kneeling below: “Prince Hui doesn’t need this credit, and moreover he really just moved his lips. All the actual work was done by you. Those several thousand mu of mountain forest were also marked out by you mu by mu. Therefore, my bestowing this plaque upon you is not a mistake. Accept it.”

Xu Dongyang was moved to grateful tears: “This humble subject kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty’s boundless grace!”

After eating at the palace banquet and watching the afternoon polo match, the royal descendants and civil and military officials were to leave the palace.

The officials took the East Glorious Gate, while the princes and princess consorts took the West Glorious Gate.

Prince Kang pushed Prince Hui at the very front. Yao Huang walked arm-in-arm with Chen Ying in the middle. Prince Qing and his wife, still shrouded in an aura of death, stiffly moved their feet walking at the rear. Because from when the channel-digging incident came to light, the couple had understood that being Crown Prince and Empress were both beyond their reach. Therefore, whether Prince Hui gained prominence today or not didn’t matter much to Prince Qing. And Zheng Yuanzhen was still seeking her own and her mother’s self-preservation, with no time to think much about Prince Hui.

Prince Kang was different. Last time when Di Xianxiu built channels and Yan Lun pushed the merit of talent recommendation comparable to the legendary talent-spotter Bole onto Second Brother, he truly hadn’t thought too much about it. But today Xu Dongyang again pushed the devotion to the people that Father Emperor had greatly praised onto Second Brother—had Father Emperor really known nothing beforehand?

If Father Emperor had that intention, what was Second Brother thinking?

These three years, Prince Kang had only seen Second Brother as a brother with crippled legs who needed care. But now numerous facts told him that aside from his inconvenient legs requiring his care, Second Brother was still that second brother who surpassed him in every aspect.

Father Emperor…

If Father Emperor had truly known early on about Second Brother’s merit in these two matters, why did Father Emperor still send him to handle those inspection errands, just to let him gain some trivial credit and then feel ashamed before Second Brother’s top-grade achievements?

Prince Kang tilted his head slightly upward, directing his gradually reddening eye sockets toward the clear early summer sky.

The wheelchair’s speed showed no change from usual, but Zhao Sui could sense Prince Kang’s excessive silence.

Zhao Sui didn’t know what he could say. The Princess Consort had already recounted the solomon’s seal planting matter clearly from beginning to end. If he brought it up again it would just be self-praise. And matters Father Emperor had not yet stated explicitly, he should even less mention.

They reached the palace gate.

Prince Kang smiled as he pushed Second Brother’s wheelchair to the front of Prince Hui’s residence carriage, smiled as he played with Jun’er held by Prince Hui’s residence wet nurse, then smiled as he bid farewell to Second Brother and his wife.

Having been immersed in officialdom for eight years at least, Prince Kang could still manage putting on a smiling face.

In the time it took to say farewell, Yao Huang couldn’t possibly keep staring at Prince Kang, so she didn’t notice anything unusual about Prince Kang’s smile. Watching the wet nurse steadily holding Jun’er as she boarded the rear carriage, Yao Huang also pushed Prince Hui onto the carriage.

After securing the wheelchair, Yao Huang sat on Prince Hui’s lap and teased him about his handsome face: “Clearly you did a good deed but still got scolded by Father Emperor. Is Your Highness aggrieved this time?”

Zhao Sui certainly wasn’t aggrieved, but he wasn’t accustomed to such occasions—not accustomed to the scrutinizing gazes the assembled officials cast at the palace banquet, nor accustomed to Prince Kang’s silence on the road out of the palace.

But all those various discomforts he’d borne for most of the day melted away in the clear eyes of the Princess Consort before him, rapidly dissipating until they vanished.

He explained: “Father Emperor wasn’t truly angry.”

Yao Huang: “I know! I realized it later. Father Emperor hoped to gain a few more good officials with wholehearted devotion to the people. In the end he discovered he had such a good son right beside him—Father Emperor’s heart must be so happy and so proud!”

Zhao Sui: “…”

He pressed the Princess Consort, who could always find new ways to praise him, into his embrace.

The Princess Consort’s face obediently pressed against his shoulder, but her right hand climbed up like a little snake, slowly pressing against his face: “Your Highness is embarrassed again.”

Zhao Sui grasped the Princess Consort’s hand and kissed her fingertips one by one.

The Princess Consort had praised him a whole basketful. He wondered if Father Emperor and those ministers could realize that it was only because the Princess Consort first brought him to Lingshan, first told him about solomon’s seal’s value, that he then conceived the idea of clearing wasteland to plant solomon’s seal.

Without the Princess Consort, today he should still be deeply secluded in the quiet bamboo forest of the princely residence’s rear garden.

Prince Hui kissed with absorption. The Princess Consort being kissed grew softer and softer. However, before returning to the residence to “take an afternoon rest,” Yao Huang still made a trip to the study first. When she returned, both hands were behind her back as she smiled at Prince Hui leaning against the headboard: “Father Emperor played favorites. Xu Dongyang received a reward, First Prince received a reward—only Your Highness got nothing. Then let me supplement a reward for Your Highness.”

Zhao Sui’s gaze fell on the Princess Consort’s waist.

Yao Huang unfolded the long strip of rice paper she had carefully cut. On it were also the four characters “Wholehearted Devotion to the People”—not vigorous and powerful, but large enough.

Prince Hui, who at this moment only wanted to “take an afternoon rest” with the Princess Consort: “…”