Song Chuyi had originally kept him specifically to counterbalance the Fan clan, but the Fan clan had collapsed first before there was any chance to deploy him. Instead, he ended up being useful in the matter with Han Zhengqing. However, Han Zhi was the type of dog that bites without barking—impossible to tame and utterly uncontrollable. Once he’d been used, no matter how convenient he seemed, he absolutely could not be kept. Keep him around too long, and he would eventually bite back.
Princess Rongcheng didn’t particularly care whether Han Zhi lived or died. She furrowed her brows with some confusion and stopped in her tracks. “The Prince Consort said it was rather a waste. Guo Huaiying said he might be useful in Fujian.”
Han Zhi had already gained considerable favor with Wang Lun, and with Ninth Princess and Han Yueheng’s natural advantages in Dongying, if he could be used to create an opening with Wang Lun, it would be quite an achievement. Guo Huaiying’s letter had been forthright—he’d told Ye Jingkuan everything without concealment, even expressing some regret that his son had mentioned this matter to him too late. Otherwise, they should have kept Han Zhi no matter what. Though Xibei was certainly important, if Fujian couldn’t hold out, that would also be very troublesome.
Song Chuyi knew of Guo Huaiying’s plan. Seeing Princess Rongcheng looking somewhat troubled, she understood she was worried about Fujian’s situation and gently reassured her: “Auntie needn’t be like this. The situation in Fujian may not truly be that dire.”
Princess Rongcheng shook her head and sighed. “You don’t know—Guo Huaiying’s situation there is indeed extremely difficult to sustain. Each time the Japanese pirates attack, they’re accompanied by sea bandits, and Guo Huaiying has suffered defeats. Father Emperor has been quite vexed about this matter and has summoned the Cabinet for discussions for several days in a row.”
Fujian had naturally also heard about the Xibei situation. The Japanese pirates and sea bandits were all hoping to take advantage of this opportunity to plunder even more, ideally making a fortune from the disaster. Guo Huaiying originally had his own methods for dealing with Japanese pirates, but recently that gang of sea bandits led by Wang Lun had been particularly rampant, frequently colluding and conspiring with the Japanese pirates to attack together. It was truly giving him terrible headaches.
Song Chuyi had long ago heard Song Jue mention this matter. Now hearing Princess Rongcheng bring it up as well, she smiled. “Even so, Han Zhi would be of no use.” She paused, seeing Princess Rongcheng put down the gift list in her hands and look toward her, then explained: “Whether Han Zhi would genuinely help the court is questionable in itself. This person is naturally rebellious—who knows if he might take the opportunity to bite the court and escape into the sea, never to appear again? We currently have no leverage whatsoever to threaten him. Secondly, what he could do, there’s another person who could do equally well. Auntie can rest assured—Uncle will think of it soon.”
Princess Rongcheng returned to Prince Zhennan’s manor still full of puzzlement. She first showed all the Empress’s prepared dowry additions for Lu Chonghua to the Princess Consort of Zhennan, then asked again which step of the six rites had been completed. Hearing that the first four rites had all been completed, she couldn’t help but beam with joy. “This is wonderful! Counting it up, by the time all six rites are completely finished, it will be at least half a year later. Half a year from now, perhaps Father will have returned as well.”
These words struck right at the Princess Consort of Zhennan’s heart. She held Princess Rongcheng’s hand for quite a while before nodding. “If it truly turns out that way, that would be wonderful.”
Princess Rongcheng knew she was worried and spoke to comfort her: “Mother, you needn’t worry too much either. Xibei is now definitively in hand. Father will certainly return triumphantly, safe and sound.”
That was true. Compared to before when his fate was unknown, at least now they knew news of Prince Zhennan, and battle reports were being sent constantly. The Princess Consort of Zhennan’s brows relaxed somewhat as she patted Princess Rongcheng’s hand.
Before long, Ye Jingkuan also came in to pay respects to the Princess Consort of Zhennan, then received Princess Rongcheng to return to the Princess’s manor. Hearing Princess Rongcheng say that Song Chuyi had said he could think of someone else who could go help Guo Huaiying in Fujian, he pointed at himself somewhat skeptically: “Me?”
He’d known since Tongzhou that Song Chuyi was a little fox—knew that Song Chuyi never spoke without purpose, that what she said was what she meant. He thought about it strangely for quite a while, then half a day later slapped his forehead. “I remember now!”
After speaking, he was so delighted that he didn’t even rush back to the Princess’s manor first. He instructed Princess Rongcheng to return to the manor herself, found a horse, and galloped off to find Song Jue.
The court had been busy with affairs recently, and Song Jue was very occupied. When Ye Jingkuan grabbed him, he was completely baffled. When he heard Ye Jingkuan say he wanted him to ask Song Chuyi for a favor, he was even more surprised. After a long while, he couldn’t help but stroke his forehead and sigh. “Since Little Yi told the Princess that you would think of it, naturally she intended to entrust the person to you. Why must you come ask me again?”
Ye Jingkuan was used to it—before seeking out Song Chuyi, he habitually sought out Song family members first. Hearing Song Jue put it this way, he realized he truly seemed to have made an unnecessary detour. He laughed heartily twice and patted Song Jue’s shoulder. “It was my oversight—I didn’t think of it for a moment.”
Since that was the case, he might as well go directly to find Zhou Weizhao.
Zhou Weizhao was currently busy with matters for the investiture ceremony. Having successfully handled the great matter of grain requisition from Jiangnan, though a few in the court had originally said his methods were too extreme, they had all been thoroughly berated by the censors and remonstrating officials this time, who said that at a time like this, why still worry about methods being extreme or not? If the methods weren’t extreme enough, His Highness the Grand Heir wouldn’t be able to return himself, let alone the urgently needed provisions for those soldiers in Xibei! The common people also sang Zhou Weizhao’s praises. Taking advantage of the favorable momentum, and while his health was still reasonably good, Emperor Jianzhang ordered the Ministry of Rites to expedite the regulations for the grand investiture ceremony and separately selected an auspicious date for his investiture.
The Minister of Rites was surnamed Xie. Seeing the Prince Consort come seeking him, he was good-tempered enough, stopped what he was doing, and withdrew. He also specifically took along the ceremonial robes to be worn that day—these robes were still somewhat ill-fitting. The Grand Heir had gone out for a trip and lost a full twenty pounds or so. Originally it seemed he already didn’t have much flesh; now having lost this much, the ceremonial robes hung loosely on him and didn’t look good at all.
Zhou Weizhao finally had some leisure. He drank a mouthful of tea and heard Ye Jingkuan ask about Han Zhi’s matter. “I was only reminded by the Princess that I recalled—what did Little Yi say back then? She had someone from that group in Ma Family Village infiltrate, didn’t she? It seems Wang Lun unprecedented even took him as an adopted son? Compared to that person, Han Zhi seems even more useless. If we have this person, we won’t need to worry about Fujian’s affairs.”
The Prince Consort’s urgency about Fujian’s affairs had its reasons—he’d been assigned the errand of going to Fujian to supervise the Fujian officialdom. Since he had to go, he naturally had to do the job beautifully.
Zhou Weizhao smiled and nodded, placing the news previously sent from Xibei beside Ye Jingkuan and pointing to a name to tell him: “Look, it’s this one, named Sun Ergou.”