Tianjia
It was early September of that year, a clear and crisp autumn day.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony remained as grand and desolate as ever, its towering vermilion pillars adorned with coiled dragons, their menacing forms poised for flight. The newly appointed Vice Minister of War, Wei Kaiji, stood within the hall in his court robes, head bowed, his usually refined face now deathly pale with fear.
Emperor Su sat upright before his throne, his usually stern face now filled with weariness. The hall was silent; he remained silent, and none of the ministers dared to utter a sound. His gaze swept past the sparse incense smoke rising from the incense burner, and with a mere frown, his wide sleeves swept several memorials before him to the ground. In an instant, the pen holder, scrolls, and other items on the white jade table were overturned, leaving a mess on the floor.
The faces of the people standing in the hall changed, and they immediately knelt down. The eunuchs and palace maids who had been serving them also disappeared in an instant. Only a few ministers remained in the hall.
Wei Kaiji was sweating profusely, and he could barely speak, stammering, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger..."
Zhao Fu's high-pitched voice was even more cautious, "Your Majesty has just recovered from a serious illness, please take care of your health. If anything happens, you can punish this servant... Why get so angry..."
Seeing that Emperor Su remained silent and his expression softened slightly, Zhao Fu bowed even more deeply and said softly, "Besides, the Heir Apparent has only recently been appointed, and it's understandable that he's a bit clumsy in handling military affairs so suddenly. In my opinion, the Heir Apparent has absolutely no intention of being disrespectful or confusing the Emperor! How could the Prince and the Heir Apparent not know that you have been so lenient and considerate towards Prince Gong for so many years..."
The newly appointed Vice Minister of Personnel, Zhang Dechang, lowered his head and quietly exchanged glances with the officials on his left and right.
Wei Kaiji clasped his hands, ignoring the sweat already trickling down his forehead, and pleaded repeatedly, "Your Majesty, what Lord Zhao said is very true! Since I took office as Vice Minister of War, I have been trembling with fear. I... I am a bit dull, but these military supply accounts are all old records. I would never dare to fabricate accounts to deceive you! You are the supreme ruler, and I would never dare to disgrace Your Majesty's grace..."
Emperor Su's ashen face grew even darker. He strode down the steps of the palace, but at the same time he began to cough violently, and even his already thin body began to sway. Zhao Fu and the others were shocked and were about to get up to help him when Emperor Su pushed them away.
Wei Kaiji felt a chilling aura and, without even bothering to kowtow and beg for mercy, was slammed to the ground by a powerful force. It was his usually dignified uncle, the Emperor Su, who had kicked him to the ground! The black satin boots were embroidered with hidden gold cloud patterns and appeared to be made of soft material, but the soles were studded with black iron. The kick landed straight on Wei Kaiji's chest. Before he could react, he felt a dull pain in his chest and a metallic taste rose in his throat.
“Prince Gong has become increasingly negligent in recent years, yet he has raised such a fine son!”
"Your Majesty, please forgive me... Your nephew knows he was wrong... Your nephew knows he was wrong..."
Emperor Su didn't even glance at the disheveled Wei Kaiji, but instead coughed even more violently in anger. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and after a long while, he calmed his breathing and said, "Wei Kaiji falsified military supplies, and for holding such a high position, he is fined one year's salary! If he commits the offense again, he will be dealt with according to the laws of Dayu! Prince Gong has failed in his duty to educate his son; he is hereby punished with three months of confinement for reflection, and is not allowed to leave the palace!"
...
The hall quickly fell silent again, with only the faint sound of the wind passing through the corridor.
Emperor Su was rarely so angry that he coughed incessantly. He finally lay down in the side hall, covered with a thick and soft brocade quilt, but he still felt a chill that seemed to pierce his heart and slowly spread.
Zhao Fu, bowing slightly, carefully brought over a bowl of medicinal soup, kneeling beside Emperor Su, intending to feed it to him personally. Emperor Su wearily waved his hand. Since his serious illness, he had consumed countless bowls of this medicine, all to no avail. He had even punished several chief physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy for it. In the palace, in the court, he had poured his heart and soul into his work for years, only to have nurtured one incompetent person after another…
Zhao Fu knew that Emperor Su was feeling unwell, so he whispered, "It's windy outside. Prime Minister Zhao rushed here as soon as he heard the news. You should see him."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Su stirred, but remained silent for a long time. He slowly closed his eyes, his dark eyelashes casting a shadow over his aging face. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice incredibly hoarse and chillingly cold:
"No need...go and summon Prince Mao."
.
The Empress was sensitive to the cold, so the Changchun Palace had already lit the underfloor heating system just after September. All the windows and doors in the palace were tightly closed, and the two bronze crane censers placed in the corner of the palace emitted wisps of smoke, which intertwined with the warm air rising from the underfloor heating system, creating a misty atmosphere that even made the flames on the gilded lamp bases appear to be covered with a thin layer of fog.
Though nearing forty, her years were well-deserved, thanks to years of pampered living; her complexion was radiant and youthful, and her demeanor was composed and graceful. The Empress reclined on a sandalwood couch, her robes clad in fine fox fur, the snow-white down emphasizing her slender neck and snow-white beauty. The bitter taste of the warm calming medicine she had just consumed had not yet faded. She held a gilded spoon in her hand, idly playing with it, lost in thought, her gaze somewhat unfocused. Outside the tent, very light footsteps echoed, barely audible on the thick, soft carpet.
Her personal maid came over and said, "Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has come to pay his respects."
The Empress quickly sat up. "It's cold outside, please come in."
Before long, Wei Yun entered, carrying a lacquered box decorated with gold chrysanthemums. "May Your Majesty be well."
The Empress feigned reproach, saying, "You are usually so busy with state affairs, how come you come here every day? And now the wind and dew are so heavy, you must take good care of yourself."
Wei Yun bowed respectfully before asking with concern, "I was just worried about Mother's health. Father has been ill for many days, and you have been attending to him, which must have been very tiring for you. Are you still taking the medicine that Physician Xu prescribed for you on time?"
The Empress smiled and said, "It's nothing serious, just an old ailment, caused by worry. I just gave you some medicine before you came, so don't worry. Your mother has the best memory."
Wei Yun opened the food box he had brought and took out several plates of exquisite pastries. A palace maid carefully took them and placed them on a small table beside him. "You always find the medicine too bitter. I know you miss the pastries from Li's shop outside the palace gate, so I specially went out of the palace to buy them for you. It'll help to get rid of the bitterness."
Since the incident involving Miao Yiyun, the mother and son had not been so harmonious for a long time. The Empress couldn't help but sigh inwardly, even feeling fortunate that she had been unwell these past few days, otherwise she would never have seen the Crown Prince so obedient.
She was just the Crown Princess, after all. She always believed that no one in the current dynasty was truly capable of holding the position, since the Crown Prince would eventually rise to a position revered by all. Her initial attraction to Miao Yiyun was merely a slight admiration for her ambition. However, she was ultimately just a woman. There were countless beautiful and intelligent women in the world. Since Miao Yiyun, Wei Tingya had showered her with flattery and ingratiation. As a woman herself, how could she not see through Wei Tingya's intentions?
Now that everyone in the court and the public knows that Prince Gong has lost the Emperor's favor, and that Wei Kaiji is utterly corrupt and nearly lost his head, she naturally wouldn't bother with Wei Tingya anymore. As brothers of Emperor Su, with Prince Gong out of favor, Prince Mao is riding high, already wielding great power and fearless. As long as Yun'er can stand in that position in the future, what is there for her to worry about?
Seeing that the Empress's expression had softened considerably, Wei Yun felt somewhat relieved, though he didn't know what she was thinking. The mother and son exchanged a few more pleasant words, both in good spirits. The Crown Prince adjusted his crown, and seeing that it was getting late, prepared to leave.
The Empress smiled gently, "Since you're busy right now, I won't keep you any longer. Ningmei, go and see the Crown Prince off."
Before the words were finished, a person slowly emerged from behind the curtain at the corner of the hall.
She was tall and slender, and her appearance appeared even more aloof and otherworldly under the lamplight. Especially her eyes, which were crystal clear and, even through the wisps of mist in the hall, possessed a captivating beauty that seemed untouched by the mundane world.
Wei Yun merely glanced up, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face. Although he quickly concealed it, it happened to fall into the eyes of the gently smiling Empress.
"This girl has only been working for me for a short time, but she is quite clever and a rare find. It's chilly tonight, Your Highness, please watch your step."
Wei Yun hesitated for a moment, his fingers twitched inside his sleeve, but he finally nodded softly, "I understand."
The two left quickly.
As the Empress watched the two figures drawing closer under the flickering lights outside the window, a calculating glint slowly rose from her eyes like frost on the bottom of a lake.
The head palace maid, Ruoran, saw this and knew perfectly well: "Your Highness, please don't worry. You've been training Ningmei for so long; she knows what to do."
The Empress glanced at the exquisite pastries on the table. These were the long-established shops outside the palace gates, their pastries always selling out as soon as they came out of the oven. Even within the palace, none tasted quite like them. She wondered how much effort the Crown Prince had put in to acquire them. After years of navigating the treacherous waters of the palace, this child had been her only bargaining chip, her only reliance… How could she possibly let go?
“The girl is clever, so I’m not worried. However, the Bai family is ultimately too foolish. Not only did they fail to get rid of Lin Xu, but they also lost their lives in vain. If I don’t keep an eye on the Crown Prince, I won’t be able to control him either.”
The head palace maid, Ruoran, sighed, "Your Majesty is wise. His Highness the Crown Prince will understand your good intentions in the future."
The Empress felt tired and hurriedly removed her makeup before preparing to rest. Ruoran and several maids had just finished tidying up and were busy lowering the curtains when a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the window of the side hall.
Ruoran was instantly filled with suspicion. She quickly peeked through the crack in the window at the door and was immediately terrified, her face turning deathly pale. She couldn't help but push the window open, but before she could utter a sound, she heard a cold voice outside the window say, "If you don't want to die, get out of here."
"Your Highness, this is Changchun Palace. You must not act recklessly..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ruoran saw a flash of cold light outside the window—the light of a man drawing his sword. Startled, she shrank back. In an instant, the door was pushed open abruptly, and along with the dark light, Prince Mao's stern and valiant face rushed in.
The Empress, who arrived upon hearing the news, turned deathly pale. She was utterly shocked by the sight of Prince Mao's tall figure in full armor. Just as she was about to raise her hand to angrily rebuke his shameless behavior, she saw a dark undercurrent surging in the eyes of the tall man before her.
The swirling incense smoke and warm mist inside the hall rushed towards him. Amidst the gentle, familiar fragrance, he slowly curved his lips into a smile.
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