Jinling City’s scorching heat was far more unbearable than Chengdu Prefecture.
Even in the afternoon, sitting in the shaded great hall with palace maids wielding fans in attendance, one still felt stifling heat. At dusk, when rain pattered down on eaves, stone ground, and leaves of plants large and small—never mind the weather cooling down—one’s heart felt refreshed just hearing it.
After the meal, Qing Yang called Bin’er, who had grown past her waist height, to her side with considerable interest to examine his elementary studies for the day.
As a Shu Kingdom princess married into Great Chu, she was an anomaly within the Chu palace. Or perhaps others found her aloofness tiresome despite enjoying His Majesty’s favor—few came to visit Changxin Palace. Of course, apart from following Empress Huang E to pay respects at Cishou Palace together with the consorts, Qing Yang had no desire to visit the other consorts’ quarters either.
However, with Wang Yong’s successful usurpation and Shu Kingdom now submitting to Great Chu, Qing Yang had no ambition to compete for succession. Her days in the palace were far more comfortable than before.
Or perhaps because Qing Yang had neither ambition for succession nor for favor, when Yang Yuanpu had leisure he still enjoyed coming to Changxin Palace and staying the night.
“Green grass covers the ancient plain, one, one…”
Qing Yang heard Bin’er’s childish voice stuck on the character “one,” unable to recall the next words of the poem for quite a while. Just as she was hesitating whether to have a palace maid fetch the punishment rod, she saw several eunuchs and palace maids guarding the hall entrance suddenly kneel in a wave. Looking up, she saw Yang Yuanpu walking into the hall accompanied by Chen Ruyi and others. Taking Bin’er’s hand, she walked over and curtsied in greeting: “Your subject (your son) greets Your Majesty (Imperial Father).”
“Rise. What poem did you study today that you couldn’t remember?” Yang Yuanpu asked in quite good spirits, taking his eldest son’s hand.
“Bin’er is still a bit wild in temperament and can’t sit still in the study,” Qing Yang said. “Has Your Majesty encountered some happy event to be in such good spirits?”
“Nothing particularly happy. Han Qian submitted a memorial from Tangyi requesting to establish his concubine-born eldest son Han Wenxin as heir apparent. The Censorate and Ministry of Rites all considered it inconsistent with propriety and law. The past two days saw several impeachment memorials. I thought this matter might be dragged out, but unexpectedly at today’s court deliberation, Mother Empress and the ministers all said nothing—only that the Han family has held hereditary title to Xuzhou for generations, and the heir to the Marquis of Qianyang title should properly heed Han Qian’s opinion more. So the matter passed like that,” Yang Yuanpu said.
“The other day Your Majesty had Eunuch Chen privately ask the opinions of the Marquis of Liyang and Prime Minister Shen—did they also completely agree?” Qing Yang asked rather curiously.
Living deep in the palace, Qing Yang had difficulty accessing more outside information. Even though Master Yun still came to the palace every few days, he mostly lectured on Daoist texts to relieve her boredom. Thus she found Han Qian’s petition to establish a concubine-born eldest son at this moment puzzling, thinking that old stubborn Shen Yang wouldn’t support this matter at all.
“Han Qian petitioning to establish his eldest son should be preparation for personally leading forces north to war. The Marquis of Liyang and Prime Minister Shen are somewhat worried about Mongol power—having Tangyi and the Mongols fight to mutual destruction has no disadvantages,” Yang Yuanpu said with a hearty laugh, hiding nothing before Qing Yang.
Qing Yang’s heart skipped a beat. Though she lived deep in the palace and didn’t even interact with Han Daoming’s daughter Han Shuhui in daily life, conducting herself as harmlessly as a little white rabbit, she still knew her brother Wang Yong’s successful usurpation was inseparable from Han Qian’s support. Even this past year, it was to a considerable degree relying on Han Qian’s support that Shu had barely stabilized.
However, Shu wasn’t worry-free from now on.
Currently Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian stationed seventy thousand troops in Qin, Qi and other prefectures, ready at any time to counterattack Shu from Yinping Road.
Li Zhigao occupying Liangzhou currently blocked the route for Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian to attack northern Shu from Liangzhou, but Li Zhigao’s intentions might not be so pure.
Qing Yang could hardly imagine—if Han Qian truly fought the Mongols to mutual destruction, would Shu descend into chaos again?
“Your Majesty means Han Qian’s urgency in establishing an heir is actually planning for what comes after, that the Huai River situation has truly become so perilous that Han Qian believes he might die in battle? However, if Han Qian truly meets with some mishap, Your Majesty would be spared one worry,” Qing Yang said with an impassive smile. “By the way, the Marquis of Xinjin’s side would probably also be pleased to see this happen. When Eunuch Chen went to see the Marquis of Liyang and Prime Minister Shen, did they consider the Marquis of Xinjin’s attitude?”
Hearing Qing Yang mention Li Zhigao, Yang Yuanpu’s expression couldn’t help but darken. He thought to himself that he hoped for Tangyi and the Mongols to fight to mutual destruction, but actually, Tangyi suffering moderate setbacks would benefit the court most. But suffering major setbacks or even Han Qian’s defeat and death—the court probably had no one who could check Li Zhigao, which wouldn’t be Great Chu’s blessing either.
Yang Yuanpu looked at Chen Ruyi and asked: “When you privately saw the Marquis of Liyang and Prime Minister Shen, did they mention the Marquis of Xinjin this time?”
Chen Ruyi was slightly startled, as if not expecting to be asked this question at this moment. After hesitating a while, he said:
“Your humble servant did ask the Marquis of Liyang. The Marquis said that though the Marquis of Qianyang and Marquis of Xinjin seem at odds, in major matters they have no discord—your humble servant couldn’t grasp the meaning of the Marquis’ words at the time and forgot to mention this when reporting back to Your Majesty.”
Qing Yang glanced at Chen Ruyi suspiciously. How could he forget to report such important words?
If Marquis of Liyang Yang En truly said this, truly believing Han Qian and Li Zhigao were actually colluding in secret all along, and the so-called “discord” was just theater for others—why?
But if the Marquis of Liyang truly said this, why would Chen Ruyi presume to conceal it?
Or perhaps the Marquis of Liyang never said this, but Chen Ruyi, having been asked by someone else, was now stirring up trouble with ulterior motives?
Qing Yang pondered, secretly feeling Chen Ruyi probably wouldn’t dare lie. She thought the Marquis of Liyang hadn’t entered the palace much these two years, but when Chen Ruyi went to Liyang Marquis Manor to seek counsel, Shen Yang was also present. If he dared fabricate nonsense, it would be too easily exposed.
But why had Chen Ruyi previously concealed this statement? What hidden circumstances made him wary?
Seeing Yang Yuanpu’s expression darken, Qing Yang secretly felt Chen Ruyi’s words had touched a nerve. She immediately changed the subject to other matters, not thinking what this moment might signify.
Yang Yuanpu’s interest waned. After lingering briefly at Changxin Palace, he brought Chen Ruyi and other eunuchs directly back to Chongwen Hall.
By this time the rain had intensified, pouring down in torrents. Heaven and earth were pitch black, with only the horn lanterns hanging from eaves and courtyard walls still emitting faint light.
Inside the great hall, bright candles burned high. Yang Yuanpu entered the hall, pacing irritably. After quite a while, he gestured for the eunuchs to withdraw to the outer hall, then stared at Chen Ruyi with a gloomy expression and asked: “Did you truly forget the Marquis of Liyang’s words, or are you concealing something from me?”
Chen Ruyi knelt before the imperial desk, his face deathly pale, stammering: “Your humble servant dares not deceive Your Majesty, but matters of speculation—your humble servant wouldn’t dare speak recklessly even with ten times the courage.”
“What matter is so serious that you dare betray my trust?” Yang Yuanpu had always deeply resented having no trustworthy people around him. Never imagining Chen Ruyi truly concealed something from him, he wished he could flay him alive.
“Your humble servant dares not speak. Speaking means death, moreover these are merely speculations—your humble servant dares not investigate closely,” Chen Ruyi said with an ashen face, kowtowing continuously.
“If you don’t speak, can’t I execute you right now?” Yang Yuanpu took down a decorative sword hanging on the wall, saying with both hatred and anger.
“This matter concerns the Empress Dowager,” Chen Ruyi said.
“Speak…” Yang Yuanpu said sternly.
“Verifying this matter is also easy. Your Majesty need only decree to bring the Second Prince out from Cishou Palace and give him to Consort Han to raise,” Chen Ruyi said.
“What matter exactly?” Yang Yuanpu asked.
“…” Chen Ruyi seemed to make a monumental decision, saying through gritted teeth: “Your humble servant recently overheard palace maids saying the Second Prince’s features resemble Han Daoming’s son Han Jun but don’t much resemble Your Majesty…”
“Nonsense! Li Yao would never commit such palace debauchery,” Yang Yuanpu angrily raised his sword to strike Chen Ruyi, roaring that he would smash all his teeth out.
“Your humble servant doesn’t mean Empress Li had an affair with Han Jun, but suspects the Second Prince currently in Cishou Palace is no longer the true Second Prince,” Chen Ruyi said, watching the sheathed sword strike down but not daring to dodge, kowtowing. “Just before the Five Fang Navy was annihilated at Hongze Lake, palace servants at Changchun Palace seemed to hear infant crying. Afterward came rumors that a palace maid and guard at Changchun Palace had illicit relations and bore a child, whom the Empress Dowager had beaten to death. After that incident, Han Jun, still young, resigned due to illness and retired to Xuanzhou for recuperation—all this seems too coincidental. Your humble servant heard Han Jun lives quite vigorously, not like someone ill…”
“…” Yang Yuanpu sat powerlessly behind the imperial desk, unable to believe everything Chen Ruyi said.
“Though your humble servant heard of these two matters early on, such speculative matters involving the Empress Dowager and Han Manor—even with ten times the courage, your humble servant wouldn’t dare speak nonsense before Your Majesty. Your humble servant truly didn’t intentionally deceive Your Majesty,” Chen Ruyi said. “The other day when your humble servant went to see the Marquis of Liyang and heard those words, your humble servant became alert. But your humble servant hasn’t yet had time to secretly investigate this matter. Your humble servant is also timid and doesn’t know whether to secretly investigate…”
“You’re saying the Second Prince has already left the palace, and the one currently in Cishou Palace is a substituted bastard child?” Yang Yuanpu asked through gritted teeth. “And it’s because of this that Tangyi and Xiangbei seem at odds but actually have no discord?”
“Your humble servant dares not speculate wildly,” Chen Ruyi said.
“You’ll accompany me to Cishou Palace!” Yang Yuanpu stood and said.
“Your Majesty absolutely must not! If this matter is false, your humble servant can drink poison in apology. But if this matter is true and Your Majesty goes in fury, I fear there’s danger to Your Majesty’s life—you must plan carefully!” Chen Ruyi knelt before Yang Yuanpu, embracing his legs and pleading desperately.