Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Giving Birth to an Orphan

There was a fierce fight in the court today.

Princess Anyang, the daughter of the emperor's eldest sister, has fallen in love with Yang Hong, the Minister of the Supreme Court, and wants to marry him to live a life of happiness together.

Emperor Hui'an's eldest sister, a figure revered by even the emperor, had married the governor of Yangzhou. When the emperor launched his rebellion, and scholars everywhere denounced him as a usurper and traitor, the eldest princess was the first to respond, personally killing her husband, who disagreed with her, and leading the Li army into Yangzhou.

It can be said that the Li army's march into the Central Plains under the banner of "clearing the court" and their unstoppable momentum along the way were largely due to the contribution of the eldest princess.

The daughter of the eldest princess, the dignified Princess Anyang, married a Dali Temple official. It was an injustice no matter how you looked at it. But Princess Anyang liked him, so what could she do?

Unexpectedly, no one expected that the Yang family would reject the marriage without hesitation, showing no regard for the royal family's reputation. They even bluntly said that Princess Anyang was arrogant and domineering, and it was really embarrassing for the women of the Yang family.

The Hongnong Yang family is a prosperous and large family with a history of over a hundred years. Many people in the government and the country were promoted by Master Yang, and there are many former officials in the family. Naturally, they have the confidence to directly reject the princess.

But the princess was a member of the imperial family, and refusing her was tantamount to directly slapping the royal family in the face. Emperor Hui'an was furious and ordered his men to arrest Yang Hong and imprison him to await trial.

In an instant, this fuse created a rift between the gentry and the royal family, the contradiction became increasingly acute, and the people in the court were in a panic.

Imperial study.

Emperor Hui'an was feeling unwell and was taking medicine under the care of his eunuchs. From time to time, he clenched his fists and put them against his mouth to cough. It seemed that he was very angry.

After taking the medicine, he looked at the Crown Prince below him and asked, "The contradiction between the imperial family and the aristocratic families is becoming increasingly acute. If this continues, conflict and unrest will inevitably break out. What do you think, Crown Prince?"

This idea had been lingering in Li Cheng's mind for a long time, and now he finally had a good opportunity. He bowed and said, "The aristocratic families are big and deep-rooted, like tigers and jackals. Not only the Yang family, but also the Qinghe Cui family, the Xingyang Zheng family, and the Taiyuan Wang family, these five surnames and seven families, which one is not a century-old powerful family that has dominated a region? What's more, the local people only know the aristocracy and do not know the saints. If this continues, it will definitely endanger the country."

"Yes, I am deeply concerned," Emperor Hui'an said, gently turning the teacup over with the lid, a look of worry on his face. The Longxi Li family was also a branch of an aristocratic family, ultimately ascending to the throne and becoming the most respected of all. He knew all too well the power and status of aristocratic families.

It was precisely because of this clarity that he worried about other noble families following suit. After all, whether a king is righteous or unrighteous depends entirely on the words of a rebel.

Emperor Hui'an felt that the matter was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan." His voice remained calm and composed, but His Majesty could easily hear the confidence in his words.

He slightly tilted his body and said with interest: "Oh, tell me about it."

"The children of aristocratic families have monopolized the imperial examination system for a long time, and those promoted by the court are all those who are well-off and have no ambition. If we want to gradually disintegrate the aristocracy, the first and foremost strategy must be to restore the fairness and justice of the imperial examination system and promote children from poor families to serve our country."

"But what if they start making trouble?"

Li Cheng sneered, "This matter is not something that can be made public. The laws of our Great Jin Dynasty clearly stipulate that the purpose of the imperial examination is to select the virtuous and capable and employ them based on their talents. The bad habits left over from the previous dynasty that favored the gentry should have been abandoned long ago. Firstly, the gentry is concerned about their reputation, and secondly, the laws of the country are strict and they are not allowed to have a say."

There will always be some commotion, but the wealthy families cannot match the numbers and power of the poor. This move will benefit the poor, and with their support, there is no need to worry about it not being able to continue.

"Furthermore, the power of the aristocratic families is not to be underestimated, and they are becoming increasingly rampant. Some merchants do not pay taxes, and local officials must consult the aristocratic families before making any decisions. Furthermore, they arbitrarily beat up the people, and when something goes wrong, they have someone else take the blame. There are countless other things going on.

"I think that we should increase the tariffs on the gentry and restrict their business and trade, so that this power should be firmly in the hands of the central government. Without money, they will be like grasshoppers in autumn and will not be able to jump for a few days."

Emperor Hui'an pondered this plan for a long time, believing it feasible, and ordered the Crown Prince to proceed. Normally, the imperial court would hold a special examination upon the enthronement of a new emperor, but it had been postponed until now due to the political instability of the past few years. Proposing it now would provide a chance for children from humble backgrounds to ascend to officialdom and attain nobility.

Looking at the prince who was full of vigor and spoke eloquently and logically, like a rising sun rising slowly over the sky of the Great Jin Dynasty, bringing with him a glorious aura that benefits all the people, Li Gu sighed, "It's still good to be young."

He was already very old, his health deteriorating day by day. The future of this vast country would eventually be handed over to the Crown Prince, and a day earlier or later seemed to make no difference. Besides, he really wanted to rest.

The Crown Prince knew what Emperor Hui'an wanted to say, and he lowered his eyes and saluted. The figure standing below him was like a swaying bamboo, tall and straight:

"Father, this is a time of great turmoil. If you are in power, can you calm the people and keep the army in order? I hope you will reconsider." Throughout the dynasties, the imperial power has changed hands, and there will be no peace in the court and the people. Even though he is the crown prince, most of the people in the court are under his own influence.

Li Gu knew his priorities, so this thought was just a thought. He didn't know how many more years he'd have to endure on the throne. The emperor's reputation sounded noble, but he was like a yellow cypress hammer—respectable on the outside, miserable on the inside.

The throne wasn't something anyone could hold. He was adept at leading troops in battle, but handling the affairs of state was a bit of a struggle.

Now that he was getting older and had endured many years of hardship, he was becoming increasingly lazy. He wanted to take his wife and see the vast land. He decided to leave everything to the prince. He was very satisfied with this capable son.

"Forget it, just listen to Cheng'er."

The next day, the Yang family, filled with anger, wanted to argue, but they did not expect that the emperor not only released Yang Hong, clarified that the rumor about Princess Anyang's marriage was nonsense, but also specially appointed Duke Yang as the Prince's Junior Tutor of the Second Rank, one of the Three Dukes, and honored and favored him for generations.

You know, although it was just a nominal position, it sounded very prestigious. The nobles were still thinking of a big fight with the emperor, but they were stunned by this news.

Even a clay figure has some blood in it. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, but he easily forgave yesterday's offense. Or is there some conspiracy behind this?

However, since His Majesty had given them a way out, the aristocrats weren't the type to go against the imperial family. While they might have a well-connected family background, they were still subjects. Since His Majesty was willing to let this matter go, they might as well go along with it.

Afterwards, the imperial edict promoted other aristocratic families to official positions, most of which were nominal positions without any real power. The aristocratic families gained face because of the benefits, so when the prince later proposed to hold a special examination to select talents with real ability and hard work, the aristocratic families did not object.

After all, their family background was there, and if they relied on real talent and knowledge, they would far surpass ordinary humble families. They still held positions of all ranks in the imperial court. This was nothing to be afraid of.

Before the smile on his face faded, the prince dropped another thunderbolt, announcing that the imperial court would increase tariffs on the aristocratic families and restrict their going out to sea.

The prince said it nicely: "There are floods in Lingnan, droughts in the northwest, and earthquakes in the southwest. The people are in dire straits. As a court official, you should be loyal to the emperor and the country, and always think about repaying the emperor."

Officials headed by the Yang family were the first to express their disagreement, but the court was not dominated by aristocratic families after all. Many upright officials or civil servants and generals promoted by the emperor expressed their approval, arguing that the aristocratic families should repay the emperor for having just been given official positions and benefiting their children.

What else could he do? They couldn't possibly be enjoying the benefits of the promotion and already be stomping on the royal family's face. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and look at the Crown Prince with a look of gnashing teeth.

Seeing that he was a gentle and kind person, I thought he was a helpless person, but who would have thought that he would hit the weak spot with his first move.

Li Cheng was extremely busy in the past two months. He went to the morning court before dawn, and Liang Hanzhang was often asleep when he came back.

Because of that day's misunderstanding, the two of them became closer. Under Li Fu's persuasion, Li Cheng went from staying at Zhilan Residence occasionally to returning every day. He almost regarded Zhilan Residence as his own listening pavilion.

As the saying goes, it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance but difficult to go back to frugality from extravagance. With a beautiful woman in his arms, the prince was unwilling to return to his previous loneliness and desolation.

That night, he walked back to his house in the dew. He saw through the window the candle still burning in the hall, and knew it was left for him by the other party. A warm feeling flowed through his heart.

Days like this are so nice.

When he stepped into the palace, he thought Liang Hanzhang had fallen asleep early, because according to his observations over the past few months, that woman's hobby was sleeping. She would fall asleep around 10 p.m. and often wake up at 9 p.m. the next day.

Fortunately, there is no Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace, and the Emperor and Empress are kind to her. Otherwise, with her lazy nature, she would get into trouble sooner or later.

He walked inside while thinking to himself, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth.

He pretended to be normal and went in to see if she had kicked off the covers. Although it was summer, the palace was filled with ice containers, so he was still worried that she would catch a cold. After all, her sleeping posture was really, really not flattering.

Unexpectedly, upon entering, he was met with Liang Hanzhang's eyes, which seemed to contain the moonlight and stars. Smiling, she rose from behind the desk and greeted him, "Your Highness," her voice soft and with a trailing lingering tone.

Li Cheng's eyes froze, and he immediately walked to the table. While undressing, he asked casually, "Why haven't you slept yet?"

She took his hand, her eyes signaling that she wanted to help him change. Li Cheng hesitated for a moment before following her lead. Having helped him several times before, Liang Hanzhang was familiar with the intricacies of his dragon robes. She walked around to him, tiptoed to touch his head, and gestured for him to bend down.

The prince cooperated obediently, and soon the twelve-beam crown on his head was untied and gently placed on the table. Her small, delicate hands immediately went around his waist, not only slowly untying the laces.

Li Cheng lowered his head to look at the woman who was almost leaning against his arms. Her slender waist was pressed against him vaguely, and her hands were pressing around everywhere. She didn't look like she was undressing him at all.

The prince's eyes darkened. Without a word, he pressed her hand, his arm across her waist, and swiftly lifted her up. The woman's feet were suspended in the air, her eyes level with his.

"What? Fengyi wants to seduce me?" His voice was deep and full of repression.

The two hadn't spoken like this for a long time, and Liang Hanzhang almost forgot that the other party was the powerful crown prince, and what she was doing now was teasing the crown prince.

The woman leaned gently over him, her soft arms around his neck, and whispered, "Your Highness." The ending syllable had a hook, like a fluttering feather, tickling the man's heart.

Without a word, the prince hugged the woman tighter and walked towards the bed beside him. With a flick of the copper hook, the bed curtains gently fell, following the master's command. Inside and outside the tent, the scenery was completely different.

This night was the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. The two people waiting at the door heard Feng Yi's charming voice coming from inside shortly after His Highness entered.

The inner couch, damp and hot, was a completely different world. The bed rocked rhythmically, and through the gauze curtains, a pair of intertwined shadows could be vaguely seen.

The man held the woman's hand above his head, nibbling her earlobe with his teeth. His voice was filled with desire that could not be contained: "Zhang Niang, give me a child." This was the first time he called her Zhang Niang.

Liang Hanzhang's consciousness was hazy, almost drowning in the tide. She was shocked to hear his words. She was just a spy lurking in the Eastern Palace. When the big things were done in the future, she would leave without hesitation.

But what would she do if she had a child? The child's mother was a spy from the previous dynasty. If something were to happen, how would the little child cope? Having such a mother would be a stain on his life.

Would the Crown Prince spare her child's life out of consideration for blood ties? Liang Hanzhang didn't dare gamble. Family affection was a thing of the past in the royal family, and besides, His Highness would eventually marry and take concubines. By then, with other children, would he still care about a mere son of Feng Yi?

Even if he had saved the child's life, they probably wouldn't have met again. After all, the child's existence constantly reminded him that his mother was from the previous dynasty and that the child's birth itself was a hoax.

Liang Hanzhang shuddered, her heart shuddering with fear as she broke out in a cold sweat. No, she couldn't get pregnant. The child was innocent and shouldn't be dragged into this struggle.

She has to find a way to prevent pregnancy.

Li Cheng saw that her eyes were blurry and dull, and thought that it was because of his reckless words that she felt forced, so he couldn't help but laugh:

"Don't panic, let everything take its course." He didn't mean to urge her, but seeing the woman blossoming under him, her misty eyes filled with him, his heart couldn't help but soften.

The thought popped into his mind almost instantly. If she were pregnant, the child she gave birth to would surely be quite lovely. The East Palace's backyard was empty, and he was already twenty-two, not young. By this age, many children from aristocratic families would already be able to run and jump.

As the crown prince, he must have a child to appease the court officials and silence the gossips of the world.

Moreover, the prince was very much looking forward to having a child with Zhang Niang. When the child was born, no matter whether it was a boy or a girl, he would accompany him attentively and would not let the child grow up in an environment without fatherly love.

The regrets of his childhood will never happen to his children.

The prince looked at her tenderly as he held her hand and looked forward to the future, but he ignored Fengyi's increasingly pale face.