Chapter 13 Dim Light (Part 4) "To doubt the crown prince is to doubt a traitorous prince..."

The emperor waited until she finished speaking, but still made no significant reaction. He merely shifted his posture slightly and looked down at the crown prince, who was now bowing respectfully.

His expression remained calm. He casually twirled the jade tassel at his waist, narrowed his eyes, and slowly spoke: "You have indeed learned a lot and become more capable during your time overseeing the country."

The Crown Prince wasn't usually subservient in his presence, and he always had his say, but he had never been so unyielding and harsh in his tone before. His memory seemed to still be of the last time she pleaded for Meng Huai, her tears welling up as she humbly appealed.

Prince Xin looked up cautiously, seemingly startled as well, and crawled forward two steps to advise, "Father, your health has just recovered; it is truly not advisable for you to become angry and harm your body..."

The emperor didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on Yan Chao, his gaze so deep it was chilling.

"What is there for me to be angry about? The Crown Prince spoke with such force and logic, as if he was afraid that I would not handle the matter impartially. He even dragged the court officials into threatening me. What a show of power!"

"It hasn't been long, and while you haven't made any progress in other areas, you've certainly learned the art of flattering the emperor and selling your honesty. Since the Crown Prince has said so, then let me ask you, is this your opinion, or the advice of the court officials?"

"It's almost the end of the year, and you still insist on making me unhappy. I am your sovereign and father, and Prince Xin is your elder brother. Do you think you are an imperial censor or a secretary of the Six Ministries, commenting on these matters to me? I have always thought you were cautious, but now you dare to speak so arrogantly. Have you forgotten about filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, and obedience?"

The emperor was in a good mood today when he saw his grandson. He summoned the crown prince mainly because he heard that the crown prince had never met Yantang. Although he was slightly dissatisfied, he did not initially intend to blame him.

Even after she entered the palace, everything seemed normal, but the emperor's displeasure became undisguised whenever Prince Xin was mentioned. His decision to keep Prince Xin in the capital had already met with opposition from the court officials, and it had taken considerable effort to quell the situation; now, Yan Chao had brought it up again.

He knew there must be people gossiping about it, but hearing it from the Crown Prince's mouth carried a deeper meaning. With him setting this example, things were bound to get uneasy.

The emperor sat on the throne for twenty years, always maintaining a composed demeanor. He was dignified and imposing even when he was not angry, and rarely flew into a rage when he did lose his temper.

Hearing his increasingly stiff tone and ashen face, one could tell he was furious beyond measure.

Yan Chao took a deep breath. The panic he felt when he finished speaking had inexplicably disappeared without a trace, and he only felt a little lightheaded.

She straightened her back slightly, but still kept her head down. Her eyes happened to fall on the tassels on the emperor's waist, and the two fingers that were holding the jade beads had turned white.

But now that she has spoken, whether she succeeds or fails, her words will reach the emperor's mind.

I wouldn't say I was completely confident, but I was simply trying my best to have a clear conscience.

"Your Majesty, it is common knowledge that Prince Xin is staying in the capital. This already caused dissatisfaction among the vassal kings, and this year there has been unrest in their fiefdoms. The ministers have repeatedly advised against it. Now that Prince Xin has entered the Ministry of Revenue, there is indeed much discussion in the court. The cabinet is worried about Your Majesty's health, so it has not yet reported this..."

"Didn't you hear what I just said? It's none of your business to interfere in Prince Xin's affairs! You just focus on being the Crown Prince Regent and handle things properly..."

The emperor was unwilling to listen to her explanation; perhaps he only wanted to hear her say, "Your subject knows his crime." But he hadn't expected that she seemed determined to finish spouting all that nonsense today.

Enraged, he cut her off, but surprisingly, he didn't finish his sentence either.

Yan Chao had no intention of leaving any room for maneuver. Seizing the opportunity when the emperor's tone was at its weakest, he also stepped in to block him.

"...But this matter concerns the very foundation of the nation, and I dare not ignore it. I understand that Your Majesty loves me dearly and hopes that I will become a great man, but..."

"Do you really intend to defy me today?!"

Prince Xin, standing to the side, was astonished by the Crown Prince's perseverance; he was still persisting and his attitude was unwavering. Li Shih-huai had already reassured him that there was no need to worry, but at this moment, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

The emperor showed no sign of illness, and his loud voice finally drowned out her last few words. After speaking, he turned around and picked up a bamboo ruler about seven inches long from the table. The ruler had faint seal script inscriptions on its surface, and its plain surface reflected the light.

She paused, and before she could speak, a flash of light appeared before her eyes, and the emperor shouted sternly, "Give me your hand!"

Yan Chao reached out his hand.

The hand seemed to know what was about to happen; its fingertips and heart trembled almost imperceptibly before it regained its composure.

The emperor continued, "Since Meng Huai's death, you have not only made no progress, but you have also forgotten all the principles he taught you. Today, I will make you understand what it means to be a ruler and subject, father and son!"

The first strike came unexpectedly.

She heard a crisp "snap" beside her ear, and the sudden pain from her fingers and palm made her bend over involuntarily. A chill ran down her spine and filled her chest, followed by a lingering numbness.

The emperor used all his strength to do it, and in just a moment, it was enough to make someone lose their mind.

Yan Chao gritted his teeth.

Her scattered thoughts quickly came together. She continued, "But the principle that 'parents love their children and plan far ahead for them' was also taught to me by my teacher. I dare not speak ill of my elders, much less show contempt for Your Majesty, it's just that..."

The conversation abruptly ended again.

Second entry.

The pain, which had subsided slightly, overlapped with the pain before. The hand in front of me was trembling, and it was clearly starting to turn red and hot, with a slight swelling.

But this time she regained her senses faster than before.

She glanced up and saw the emperor's cold gaze, raising the tribunal as if to strike again. But her mind became clearer, and she continued, "...Even Queen Zhao Wei could endure the pain of separation from her son and send Lord Chang'an as a hostage to Zhao to secure his future. Now, our great Qi has no hostile enemies. Your Majesty is wise. Why would you refuse to grant Prince Xin his fiefdom?"

She recalled Xu Zhen's memorial and thought to herself that if the emperor were to see its contents in his current state, he would probably want to exterminate his entire family.

Prince Xin, watching from the side, was also sweating profusely. The emperor's momentary silence and hesitation made him somewhat uncertain.

Before the third stroke of the ruler could fall, Prince Xin suddenly crawled a few steps to the emperor, hugged his legs, and wept bitterly, saying, "Father, it is not that I covet power, but my mother only has me as her son. In recent years, she has also suffered from an eye disease, and the imperial physicians say they do not know when it will be cured. What if... what if something goes wrong, wouldn't she not even be able to see me one last time?"

The Prince of Xin's face, which bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor's, was now wet with tears. To the Emperor, this was particularly moving, a mixture of dishevelment and unwavering resolve.

"If I truly cause turmoil in the court, I beg Your Majesty to strip me of my title of Prince. I am willing to serve my parents as their son only, to repay their kindness in raising me." Prince Xin kowtowed deeply, displaying utmost humility and sincerity.

Yan Chao's thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

She could tell that Prince Xin was once again trying to move the emperor with the sincerity of father-son affection. No matter what she had said earlier, no matter how reasonable it was, it meant nothing at this moment.

The emperor looked at Prince Xin at his feet, remained silent for a long time, and then said in a deep voice, "Li'er, get up."

The king refused.

The emperor's gaze then turned to Yan Chao.

"Did you hear that?"

Perhaps moved by the Prince's sincerity, or perhaps genuinely weary, the emperor's voice suddenly became calm.

It's unclear whether this was an answer to Yan Chao's question or a way to show her the filial piety of Prince Xin.

Her hand was still raised.

The emperor then used a ruler to push away the slightly red and swollen hand, placing the ruler on her shoulder as if it were a sharp blade at her neck, making her left shoulder feel as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Say whatever you have to say, whether it's something I should or shouldn't say, I'll listen."

When Yan Chao spoke again, her voice suddenly sounded a little hoarse. She hadn't choked up, but it sounded somewhat muffled.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I will speak frankly. If the Prince is staying in the capital to participate in government affairs without cause today, the vassal kings will have a reason to raise an army in rebellion tomorrow. Three years ago, during the rebellion of the Second Prince Yan Ping, some vassal kings took advantage of the chaos to claim that they were entering the capital under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials.' Have you forgotten, Your Majesty?"

Before she could finish saying something like, "It's because you spoil her so much that she's become arrogant," she felt a lightness on her shoulder as the cold ruler moved to her cheek.

She shuddered involuntarily. Before she could react, a sharp "smack" rang out as she received a third solid blow to the face.

Instantly, half her face burned, more painful than a slap. The pain was sharp and numbing, throbbing and jerking, as if most of her thoughts had been ripped away. She bit her lip hard, her good hand clenching her sleeve, not daring to reach up to cover herself. A chill ran through her, her mind went blank, and she stared wide-eyed.

Prince Xin is still by her side, yet the emperor is not giving her even the slightest bit of face.

"You're comparing Prince Xin to Yan Ping?"

Prince Xin immediately looked up to speak, but the emperor gestured for him to shut up. Then, looking at Yan Chao, he said, "Since you insist on competing, I must remind you that Yan Ping also stayed in your Eastern Palace, though only for one night. Do you know why? Those who harbor rebellious intentions should be executed."

Yan Chao's breath hitched, and she suddenly felt her whole body stiffen and go numb. She had expected the emperor to be furious for her outrageous words today, but she never expected to hear such words with her own ears. She was shocked. Was the emperor using Yan Ping as an example to suspect her?

No, she had something else to say.

She didn't respond to the emperor's words, but composed herself and continued, "Furthermore, the disadvantages of Prince Xin entering the Ministry of Revenue far outweigh the advantages. First, it violates ancestral rules and disrupts the court. Second, the Ministry of Revenue only has one person in mourning, and the number of reserve officials is fixed and freely arranged by the Ministry of Personnel. Now, with the dignified Prince Xin interfering, wouldn't people say that the court is so short of personnel that it has to resort to using princes to fill positions? Third, the Minister of Revenue, Minister Li, comes from the Li family, and even if Father trusts the Li family, are you going to let others talk about whether he should avoid suspicion? Fourth, Father, you are so considerate of Prince Xin in every way, can you bear to see his reputation ruined and leave a bad name in the history books because of this?"

Xu Zhen probably meant the same thing, but his memorial was far more forceful than Yan Chao's, elevating the emperor to the level of ancestors and the entire Qi state from the Ministry of Revenue, a lengthy and comprehensive document of several thousand words.

The next blow didn't land on her face. Instead, the emperor used a ruler to lift her hand and swung it down without a word. In that instant, she felt her hand and face burning hot, so much so that her vision blurred and she felt dizzy.

She continued with difficulty, "Now that I am not speaking as the Crown Prince, if Father Emperor finds my words inappropriate, he may reprimand me as any other father would. If word gets out, it will only be that I have been impolite, and it will not hurt the loyalty of the ministers. However... now that I am speaking alone, if the ministers harbor resentment in the future, how will Father Emperor deal with it?"

At this point, the emperor was actually unwilling to make a big fuss.

The emperor remained silent for a long time before turning away. He casually tossed the ruler onto the table, its plain side facing down, revealing the three characters "Heartless Bamboo" prominently displayed among the few lines of poetry on its front.

The crisp sound echoed in the hall, startling both of them and causing them to feel a moment of unease.

Yan Chao silently withdrew his hand; most of his hand was numb, yet he dared not move a muscle.

She caught a glimpse of Prince Xin's unease out of the corner of her eye, and was about to speak when the Emperor suddenly asked, "Is Prince Xin's residence still busy with the year-end approaching?"

Prince Xin hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, with the Princess Consort managing the household, everything is in good order, so it's not a busy matter."

The Emperor hummed in agreement: "I am very relieved to have Li Shih-huai in the Ministry of Revenue, so you don't need to bother with that anymore. Now that you have a son, you should take care of your family. When you have free time, come to the palace to keep your mother company. Also, don't associate with those shady characters."

Prince Xin understood the emperor's meaning, and a chill ran through him as he realized that the emperor's thoughts had suddenly changed. However, he dared not say anything more for the time being, and after thanking the emperor, he rose at the emperor's signal.

"Your Highness, please rise as well."

But Yan Chao still dared not move. Sure enough, the emperor then said, "Since you always remember Meng Huai's kindness, you should diligently cultivate yourself. Your behavior today is the greatest humiliation to him in the afterlife. He is your mentor, and his honor and disgrace are intertwined with yours. If you offend him again, Meng Huai will not even be able to save his honor in death."

Yan Chao felt a chill run down his spine and replied, "Yes."

"You are the Crown Prince, and it is most inappropriate for you to behave improperly in front of the Emperor. Since it is almost the end of the year, I do not want to be too harsh on you. So I will give you thirty strokes of the cane. Go back and face the wall to reflect on your mistakes. Diligently copy the Four Books and understand them well. You do not need to come out again before the end of the year."

Yan Chao respectfully thanked the emperor. She knew that the emperor intended to clean up the mess himself, and the regency period was now over. She just hadn't expected it to end this way.

But it's alright, she was really tired. Her face was still extremely painful, and it was probably already red and swollen, which must have looked terrible.

The thirty strokes of the cane were a form of torture inflicted by Ji Weixian's men. The young man, nicknamed "Little Fire," looked unfamiliar but possessed great strength. By the latter half of the thirty strokes, she was truly becoming dizzy and disoriented, as if she were about to faint from the pain.

As she was being helped into the sedan chair, she was still dazed and confused, thinking that she had truly lost all face today.

Night had gradually fallen outside, and lights were lit everywhere. Every now and then, a bright red lamp would appear in the darkness, adding a festive and warm touch.

The sedan chair seemed to have traveled for quite some time. She slumped against the side of the sedan chair, lifted the curtain a little, and softly called out, "Liang Lu."

Liang Lu responded and walked closer to her, noticing that her voice sounded somewhat weak.

Yan Chao suddenly started rambling incoherently: "Just now, when Prince Xin mentioned Consort Li and said she had an eye ailment, I saw His Majesty was moved. He could feel sorry for the concubine who had been with him for so many years, but what about my mother? Liang Lu, what about my mother? She was such a gentle person, sitting in the position of Empress for more than ten years. Apart from that cold eulogy praising her as gentle and virtuous, how many people still remember her..."

Her voice was so faint it seemed to dissipate with the wind: "Your Majesty, do you hate me that much?"

Liang Lu called out "Your Highness" with concern, but could no longer hear her voice.

Liang Lu instructed the palace servants to hurry up, but Yan Chao, who was in a daze, suddenly stopped at the entrance of the passageway.

The palace path wasn't far from the East Palace, but it was unusually deserted. Because there were so few pedestrians, even half the lights were off. Yan Chao used to enjoy taking walks there at night to calm his mind. But now it was cold, and it was snowing.

No matter how Liang Lu tried to persuade her, she insisted on stopping. Liang Lu sighed softly and had no choice but to go along with her wishes.

As Yan Chao stepped out of the sedan chair, she was immediately enveloped in a chill, but she didn't feel that cold. She frowned, tilted her head back, and the scattered chill quickly melted away on her face.

She asked, "Is it snowing?"

"yes."

"oh."

She nodded and turned to walk into the darkness.

Liang Lu wanted to follow, but Yan Chao said, "No one should follow."

"Then Your Highness, please take an umbrella."

"I'm not cold."

When Liang Lu tried to ask again, he found that the person had already gone far away. He sighed deeply with worry and ordered the eunuch beside him to quietly follow.

Yan Chao walked numbly, his face burning hot, his hands bruised in places, and he was torn between pain and cold, not knowing which to feel more pain.

The only thing that brought her some joy was that Prince Xin would no longer have the opportunity to interfere in court affairs. She would reclaim what was rightfully hers, bit by bit, and not allow anyone else to have even a fraction of it.

Yan Chao suddenly chuckled, laughing until his nose stung and his eyes welled up with tears.

"Then let them be their loyal subjects, and I'll be my unfilial son."

She tried to rub her eyes, but found that her hands had lost all feeling.

I blinked and could barely see some things.

She heard footsteps nearby, and as she turned around to follow the sound, a cool snowflake landed right in her eye.

She vaguely saw a light in front of her. She looked at her hands, frowned, and said, "I don't want a light."

The man held the lamp closer to her: "Your Highness, let me carry the lamp for you."

A note from the author:

Note: ① The Ouqu Folk Museum in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, has a warning plaque with an inscription that reads: "A piece of heartless bamboo, it will not teach or read unless struck. If parents love their children, please do not send them to a private school."