When the Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess and Xie Yanfang came out to greet him. Before they could speak, the Crown Prince stopped in his tracks with an exclamation.
“I forgot,” he said. “A-Yu.”
The Crown Princess was delighted: “Has A-Yu returned?”
“No,” the Crown Prince said with a smile, handing her his outer robe. “After finishing business with Father Emperor, I was supposed to visit A-Yu, but I was too busy and forgot.”
The Crown Princess said, “Why not bring A-Yu back here? Yanfang is here too and hasn’t seen him yet.”
Before the Crown Prince could speak, Xie Yanfang smiled and said, “The young prince is studying with His Majesty. Since I skipped my lessons, I’m not fit to be his elder. I was planning to guide his studies.”
The Crown Prince laughed heartily: “Then forget it. He’s already suffering enough with those seven or eight tutors. If he comes here and has to listen to your instructions too, let’s wait until I take him hunting. You should come then too, and the first thing you can do is compete with A-Yu in archery.”
The Crown Princess couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, is that true? Will you take A-Yu hunting?”
The Crown Prince often went hunting but had never taken his wife and child.
“Of course,” the Crown Prince said with a smile. “You’ll come too. The whole family will go.”
Xie Yanfang explained to his sister: “The Third Prince’s literary gathering will be held soon. Since the Crown Prince won’t attend, he might as well avoid it completely by going hunting.”
“Why be so polite? There are no outsiders here,” the Crown Prince said, clenching his fists before him, making his robes bulge. “He has his literary gathering, I have my martial gathering. I’ll add to his festivities.”
The Crown Princess didn’t care about any of this. Confirming that A-Yu could go out, she said happily, “This is a big event. Your Highness should have told me earlier so I could prepare.”
She then seemed a bit at a loss, calling to the palace maid beside her.
“Summon everyone.”
With that, she left the Crown Prince behind and hurried away with her palace maid.
Xie Yanfang watched his sister leave with a smile, then said to the Crown Prince, “My sister is so excited about going out with you that she doesn’t know what to do. It seems you’re usually too busy.”
The Crown Prince snorted: “Don’t come criticizing me. Are you any better? You’re still unmarried, and how many young women in Dongyang are wasting their youth waiting for you?”
Xie Yanfang laughed heartily and bowed: “I was wrong.”
The Crown Prince sat down and stretched his arms: “As for Liang Siqing’s matter, do you need to get involved? It’s hardly a major issue—” He smiled again, “Your family has already taken two girls, one for you and one for your brother. You could swallow up the Liang family, too. Why make such a fuss—”
He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“If you leave it to Lord Yang, you won’t get a drop of the Liang family’s wealth, and all the blame will fall on your head.”
Xie Yanfang smiled: “But this way, it’s much smoother for Lord Yang to handle matters. When everyone focuses on private affairs, they’re more likely to turn a blind eye to public matters.”
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow: “You’re quite generous.”
“If this small matter can be exchanged for the Crown Prince’s major affairs, I think I’ve gained the advantage,” Xie Yanfang said with a smile.
The Crown Prince spat: “Let it go this time, but next time, give me advance notice. Even if it’s a good deed, I need to be prepared.”
Xie Yanfang bowed and acknowledged.
“Also, you don’t need to be so cautious. Since you’re in the capital, see A-Yu more often, take him out to play. Why be so formal with a child?” the Crown Prince added. “When I was young, I practically grew up with the Imperial Uncle.”
Xie Yanfang shook his head: “Back then, Your Highness, the Empress had passed away early, there was the Western Liang military threat, and His Majesty was busy with state affairs. But A-Yu has both parents, and His Majesty as a grandfather looking after him. What he needs to learn is how to view the world, and the proper way of ruler and subject, not playing around with relatives from noble families like me. However, Your Highness, you should spend more time playing with A-Yu. Father and son—”
The Crown Prince waved his hand to interrupt: “Alright, alright, I understand. Fortunately, your sister isn’t like you—quiet and never nagging.”
Xie Yanfang smiled: “That’s because Your Highness is my sister’s husband. A wife follows her husband. She doesn’t treat me that way. Your Highness, would you believe that when I leave here, my sister will stop me and nag endlessly?”
The Crown Prince laughed heartily and waved him away: “Off you go.”
Xie Yanfang bowed and withdrew.
The Crown Prince sat alone in the hall. Two mounted archers came in from the side hall.
“Third Young Master Xie is indeed cautious,” one mounted archer said with a smile. “He’s careful not to overstep in everything he does. I think he would rather not even be a relative.”
This mounted archer had a full beard, looking quite rugged at first glance, but his skin was fair, and his features delicate, creating a particularly incongruous appearance.
This wasn’t surprising. The Crown Prince favored martial arts, so many people pretended to like martial arts to seek opportunities.
The Crown Prince smiled slightly: “He’s right. I am of the royal family and should consider the way of ruler and subject. You don’t understand him. Xie the Third has grand ambitions. He doesn’t want to make a name for himself merely based on being a royal relative.”
Not relying on relatives, not seeking benefits from relatives—he would only use his abilities to gain advantages, unlike Imperial Uncle Yang—
The childhood companionship had to be repaid many times over, and he demanded it as if it were his right.
With eyes only for relatives, he increasingly lost sight of the proper relationship between ruler and subject.
How could he not realize that the companionship back then was simply a subject’s duty?
Let it be this way for now. After ascending the throne, he would make them understand clearly what the relationship between ruler and subject truly meant.
The Crown Prince slammed the table, venting his anger: “Go, send all those scholars to hard labor for me.”
The two mounted archers quickly acknowledged.
“Also, remember to make them pass by the gate of Wangchun Garden.”
The Crown Prince added this instruction.
The mounted archers laughed loudly, responding loudly, “Your Highness, rest assured.” “We’ll certainly make it a lively affair.” “We’ll add color and excitement to the Third Prince’s literary gathering.”
…
…
The soldiers escorted the bare-chested scholars of various ages, proclaimed to be bandits and rebels, through the streets in a grand display.
They loudly announced their heinous crimes and whipped them.
The streets were crowded with onlookers, but compared to the previous spectacle of the Xie family disciplining their son, the atmosphere was tense and somber.
Chu Zhao and the other girls also stood by the window of the upper floor of the restaurant, looking down at the scene.
“Why did they suddenly arrest so many people?” Qi Leyun asked.
“Because of the literary gathering, many people have come to the capital. The authorities say it’s a mixed crowd, and they’re clearing out the bad elements,” one girl said in a low voice.
“But they look like scholars. How could they—” Qi Leyun said.
The other girls hurriedly stopped her.
“This is a government matter.” “Don’t say too much.” “They’re not arresting people arbitrarily. I heard they wrote treasonous things involving the Emperor and the Crown Prince—”
When it involved the Emperor and Crown Prince, Qi Leyun fell silent. This was a contest between the royal father and son.
“Will the literary gathering still be held?” a girl asked timidly.
She didn’t voice the rest of her question: Given the current situation, could they still attend?
The girls’ gazes immediately turned to Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao came back to her senses. She didn’t know either. In that lifetime, the Crown Prince had also arrested many scholars, but it was after the Wangchun Garden literary gathering, because these scholars had written articles advocating for selecting an heir based on virtue rather than seniority. The struggle for succession between the Third Prince and the Crown Prince was officially unveiled, causing a commotion in the capital.
In reality, all of this was just a cover. The Third Prince didn’t rely on these scholars to spread his message, but took direct action instead—
But in this lifetime, the Crown Prince had arrested people before the Wangchun Garden literary gathering even began, already causing a stir. What would happen next?
Would fate change?