In the evening, Emperor Jianzhang went to Consort Song’s Fengzao Palace as usual. The little prince was already seven years old, and Emperor Jianzhang was preparing to select teachers for him to begin his studies. Seeing him laugh without a care in the world, even his own heart couldn’t help but feel somewhat more cheerful. He reached out to pull the boy before him, asked him a few questions, and seeing him answer fluently with clear logic, couldn’t help but nod toward Consort Song. “This little fellow has been taught well.”
This was his youngest child. Even though he hadn’t been particularly close to Consort Song in the past, for the sake of this child connected to him by blood, he came more frequently than before. Human feelings all developed slowly through interaction. The more they spent time together, the more naturally harmonious things became. Consort Song no longer showed the trembling caution she once had when dealing with Emperor Jianzhang. Smiling, she shook her head at him. “He says he wants to set an example for his nephews… It’s worrying Princess Lu and Princess Su terribly.”
Zhou Weiyin and Zhou Weiyang had both been adopted by Prince Lu and were still studying in the palace. Hearing this, Emperor Jianzhang raised his eyebrows. “Oh? He’s willing to set an example for the children—how is it that they’re still worried?”
This time the little prince didn’t wait for Consort Song to answer but called out himself, “Because I’m too diligent! Teacher said to suspend one’s head from a beam and prick one’s thigh with an awl. I tried it and found this method probably wouldn’t work—the nannies wouldn’t allow it anyway. So I had to think of other methods and simply stopped eating meals! I’m very diligent, you know!”
Emperor Jianzhang really couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing with a snort. Rubbing the boy’s hair, he couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “Where did the teacher truly mean that literally?”
At the same time, he rarely showed the patience to explain the principle to him in detail, finally telling him not to rush—he was still young, and should take his time.
At this age now, having lost two sons already, with the rest not particularly close, he increasingly longed to have children around his knees. He thought of Prince Gong and Prince Duan, and his expression became somewhat unpleasant again.
He had once thought that if he treated his sons wholeheartedly and exhaustively, thinking of them in every way, they wouldn’t repeat the tragedy between himself and Prince Tai. But it seemed this wasn’t the case.
Power most encouraged human greed, and human greed was endless.
Sometimes, one truly had to believe in the four words “fate’s cruel tricks.”
Children raised in the palace were most skilled at reading expressions. The little prince immediately sensed his father’s emotional change and turned to speak of happier things—for example, how Zhou Weiyang was the youngest and always cried, and so on. Emperor Jianzhang indeed smiled upon hearing this and stroked his head.
Speaking of these two grandsons reminded him of the arrangements for Prince Lu and Prince Su. Now that the military situation in the northwest had been settled, it was indeed time to discuss with Zhou Weizhao what exactly should be done about Prince Lu and Prince Su.
When Consort Song heard that Emperor Jianzhang wanted to summon Zhou Weizhao, she immediately smiled. “Your Majesty has been constantly discussing state affairs and forgot to offer congratulations—you’re going to be a great-grandfather.”
This news shouldn’t properly have been announced by her, but now that Emperor Jianzhang never stepped foot in Qingning Palace, and he was eager to see Zhou Weizhao, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her not to mention it either.
Emperor Jianzhang raised his eyebrows in surprise, only now reacting, his face bearing a slight smile as he asked her, “Truly?”
Consort Song personally fetched ginseng soup to serve him. “How could this be false?” She could now joke with Emperor Jianzhang. “This morning my mother entered the palace. Seeing Xiao Yi dry heaving incessantly, she thought perhaps she was with child. When they summoned the imperial physician, it turned out to be true. The Imperial Grand Prince probably just received the news and went back to see Xiao Yi. You’d best not call for him at this time.”
The arrival of new life always brought particular joy. Emperor Jianzhang couldn’t help but say “good” several times. That night he didn’t rest at Fengzao Palace but went to Qingning Palace instead.
Empress Lu was watching Court Lady Qin prepare medicinal diet recipes for Song Chuyi. Hearing that Emperor Jianzhang had come, she thought she had misheard. It wasn’t until Emperor Jianzhang entered and palace attendants knelt covering the floor that she realized Emperor Jianzhang had truly come. She composed her expression solemnly, rose, and paid respects to Emperor Jianzhang.
Emperor Jianzhang reached out to help her up. For a moment he actually felt he had nothing to say to his wife. After quite a while, he finally coughed and asked her, “Preparing things for Weizhao’s wife?”
Empress Lu also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she nodded, finally showing a bit of a smile on her face. “Weizhao’s wife usually fears neither heaven nor earth. Who would have known that inside she’s still just a child? So delighted she was probably frightened instead. This is the first time I’ve seen her in such a dazed state…”
Once the conversation started, communication became much smoother. Emperor Jianzhang listened with a smile on his face. When Empress Lu had said about enough, he told her, “A Hong…”
Before Emperor Jianzhang could finish, Empress Lu had already urgently called out. Seeing Emperor Jianzhang look over in surprise, she lowered her head again. After pausing, she said, “I know everything already. There’s nothing worth saying.” She looked at Emperor Jianzhang almost pleadingly. “Let’s not speak of him.”
When a person was dead, they were dead. Bringing it up again wasn’t anything worth being happy about for anyone.
When Princess Rongcheng had entered the palace, she had mentioned Prince Gong’s death and mentioned that before dying, Prince Gong still wanted to see her one more time. She had pretended not to hear any of it.
At this time, it fundamentally wasn’t up to her to decide. Even if she heard, it would only needlessly upset her. Why should she invite such unpleasantness upon herself? It truly wasn’t worth it, was it?
Emperor Jianzhang looked at her deeply for a long while, then indeed stopped speaking and didn’t continue. Instead, he spoke of Zhou Weiyin and Zhou Weiyang. “These two boys—why not keep only one in the capital, and have Prince Lu take the other back with him.”
Empress Lu heard the implication in his words and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Your Majesty’s meaning is that you want the vassal princes to return to their fiefs?”
“Originally this favor was being saved for Weizhao to grant.” Emperor Jianzhang nodded. “Now Weizhao has submitted a memorial saying that the fiefs cannot long be without their vassal princes. I’ve thought it over, and it would be good to have them return.”
Empress Lu understood Emperor Jianzhang’s meaning in keeping one. She felt somewhat troubled. “But after all, they’re not their…” Speaking to this point, she stopped again. Prince Gong could even abandon his own biological sons and send them out of the capital. For Prince Lu, when the children weren’t even his own, even if they truly kept someone in the capital as a hostage, it wouldn’t have much use or meaning.
Emperor Jianzhang hummed in acknowledgment. “But Consort Liang is still in the palace. Moreover, you as the Imperial Grandmother wanting to have your granddaughters attend to you at your knees—this isn’t any great matter.”
Girls were a rare commodity in the Zhou family. Among the vassal princes, only Prince Lu and Prince Su had daughters. Prince Duan had them too, but Prince Duan had long since been reduced to commoner status, so naturally his daughters had also become commoners.
For Empress Lu to want to take Prince Lu’s and Prince Su’s daughters to raise—whether by emotion or reason—fundamentally wasn’t excessive.
The vassal princes also understood clearly what this meant. Princess Lu felt somewhat sad. “We only have this one child…”
Prince Lu knew her thoughts and rebuked her in a low voice, “What nonsense are you speaking?! Are Weiyin and Weiyang not our children?! Put away those thoughts. Being raised by Mother Empress isn’t any bad thing. Would you rather live trembling in fear in the capital, or would you rather go to the fief to live your life?”