Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Do you think of me as your father?
In the late autumn of the fifth year of Longxi, news came from the southern border that the great general Yin Jingheng, who had disappeared on Yulong Snow Mountain three years ago, was still alive.
During the years he was away, the regent sidelined the emperor and monopolized power, causing dissatisfaction among the royal family; Chao Yang's faction raised private soldiers and attempted to usurp power; and vassal states on the border repeatedly invaded, causing the Great Yin Dynasty to suffer internal and external troubles.
Upon hearing that the general was still alive, the court officials saw hope for a revitalized government. General Yin Jingheng, the guardian of the nation, was a valiant warrior who had repeatedly repelled foreign enemies from the border, intimidating the Japanese pirates. However, since the news of his disappearance, the foreign enemies he had once defeated have begun to stir, repeatedly disturbing the peace of the border.
News that Yin Jingheng was still alive spread throughout Shangjing. Hanyu was both surprised and delighted to learn this. She excitedly asked Yin Jinglong, "Ajiang is really still alive, right? Do you know where he is now? Can I see him again?"
Yin Jinglong's expression suddenly darkened. He had only just heard this news this morning. Where had it come from? Who had spread it? Was it true or false? All of this needed to be ascertained, but Hanyu's questioning tone displeased him.
"Have I treated you poorly these days? Are you so impatient to reunite with your brother? Then I'm sorry to disappoint you. I only just learned about your brother's news, so I can't answer your questions."
"If you don't know, then you don't know! Why are you being so mean to me? I'm at your house, and I can't go out and ask someone myself. If not you, who else can I ask?"
"You! Fine! You want to go out, right? I haven't tied your feet. If you're not afraid of being caught and bled again, go out if you want. I have no right to care whether you live or die!"
The two men started arguing with each other, neither of them giving in, until the guards from the palace came to report something, and Yin Jinglong just walked away.
The guard was the one he sent out to investigate after he got the news today. Now he has found some information and is reporting back to him.
"Your Highness, I have privately inquired with the eunuchs of Qiankun Palace. The news came from within the palace. As to whether it was the Empress Dowager or His Majesty, I am not sure yet. The eunuch was also hesitant and refused to say."
"Never mind. Whether it's the Queen Mother or the Emperor, it makes no difference to me. The Queen Mother's opinion is the Emperor's opinion."
Yin Jinglong roughly guessed that this news was most likely a misunderstanding deliberately made by the Queen Mother in order to disrupt the government. She simply wanted to involve him and Princess Chaoyang in the power struggle after the return of the Great General, so as to make him fearful.
Now that the princess's crimes have been exposed, the emperor has been reluctant to convict her. On the one hand, he is taking into account the opinions of his clan members, and on the other hand, he is afraid that after the princess's faction falls, the power of Prince Yin's Mansion will become dominant, and in this way, the emperor will never be able to rule the country himself.
After learning about this, Yin Jinglong was no longer as surprised and panicked as when he first heard the news. He began to calm down. He wanted to see what the dying mother and son were up to.
The next morning at court, Prince Yin Ji, representing the imperial family, was the first to present a memorial to the emperor, reporting, "Your Majesty, rumors have been circulating lately that the Great General is still alive. I'm unsure whether this is true or not, so I'm instructing Your Majesty to send spies to investigate. If it's false, severely punish those who spread the rumor. If it's true, investigate the Great General's current whereabouts so we can send someone to rescue him."
The young emperor glanced at Yin Jinglong, who was silent beside him. Seeing that his face was expressionless and he seemed to have no objection, he said to Prince Xian, "I understand that your uncle loves his son deeply and is eager to find the general. The current political situation is turbulent, and Japanese pirates are often invading the border. Like you, I also urgently hope that he will return to defend our country. However... this news came out of nowhere, and I am confused for a moment. I don't know where to start the investigation!"
"If Your Majesty finds it difficult to find out the truth of this matter, then I can recommend someone to you."
"Oh? Who do you think is capable of investigating this matter?"
Prince Xian clasped his hands together and said earnestly, "She is my younger sister and your Majesty's aunt—Princess Chaoyang."
These words immediately drew opposition from Yin Jinglong, who angrily denounced his father in court: "Princess Chaoyang has committed heinous crimes by stealing the statue and killing innocent people. According to the law, she should be stripped of her title, confiscated her fiefdom, and demoted to a commoner. However, considering that she was the most favored daughter of the late emperor, a senior member of the Yin clan, and had made a modest contribution to the late emperor's foundation, she has not been convicted yet and has only been confined. How dare Prince Xian mention her again now?"
"Your Majesty, please listen to me! Before his death, the late Emperor bestowed upon Princess Chaoyang a unit of his own Imperial Guards. The Princess trained them as secret guards. Unlike the other guards, these are skilled at lurking in secret, gathering intelligence and gathering secrets. Their identities are also mysterious, and no one except the Princess herself knows their true identities. Therefore, I believe that if the Princess were to send these secret guards to investigate, it would not only be more effective, but also give her a chance to redeem herself from her crimes."
Seeing that the young emperor was about to be persuaded by the eloquence of the virtuous prince, Yin Jinglong immediately brought out the last words of the late emperor before his death, knelt in front of the emperor and said:
"Absolutely not! Your Majesty, the late Emperor once instructed me to wholeheartedly assist Your Majesty in revitalizing the Great Yin. He repeatedly warned you to appoint people based on merit, not personal connections, and that honest advice, though unpleasant to the ear, is beneficial to action. The princess has committed serious crimes, and if you send someone from her, I believe she will cause trouble to evade responsibility. If Your Majesty wishes to send someone, I will personally travel to the southern border to investigate. If the information is true, I guarantee with my life that I will bring the general back safely."
When the late emperor's last wishes were mentioned, the young emperor was at a loss for words. Even the empress dowager behind the curtain could not speak a word, and the clan members below were even more angry but dared not say anything.
Only Prince Xian was not afraid of the power behind his status as Regent, insisting that his younger son must not interfere in bringing his eldest son back! After all, the two brothers had long been at odds and had a rift in their hearts. Moreover, they were political enemies in the court. If Yin Jinglong was sent, would his brother still have a chance to survive?
So, he, an old prince who was nearly fifty years old, knelt in front of the young emperor and strongly recommended Princess Chaoyang to investigate the matter at the cost of more than a hundred lives in the entire Prince Xian's Mansion.
This put the young emperor in a dilemma. One was the regent appointed by the previous emperor, and the other was a royal elder respected by the clan members. Moreover, the princess who was most favored by the previous emperor was involved in this matter. No matter which side he chose, he would offend the other.
He turned around and looked at the Queen Mother who had remained silent behind him. She must have never thought that she had just released a piece of false news, which actually led to an open confrontation between these two forces!
Seeing that the Empress Dowager hadn't spoken, the young emperor declared, "Prince Yin and Prince Xian, please rise quickly. This is a matter of great importance. We must discuss it carefully with the Empress Dowager and make a long-term plan. I am tired today. My dear ministers, please withdraw first!"
As the officials left the palace, Yin Jinglong quickly caught up with Prince Xian and called out to him, "Father, why would you choose the princess over your own son?"
Prince Xian stopped and turned, retorting, "Do you treat me like your father? You openly used your position as regent to oppose your father in the court. How can I trust you?"
"We've come to this standoff today. Wasn't it you, my father, who personally caused this? From childhood to adulthood, the person you chose was never me! If the late emperor hadn't discerned talent and summoned me to the palace to study with the current Crown Prince's tutor when I was ten, would I have achieved what I have today?"
Yin Jinglong showed him the heart-shaped gold locket he always wore and continued questioning him, "Father, do you still remember my mother's name? While you and the princess enjoyed the Bai family's immense wealth, my mother tragically died alone in this prison of the palace. Father, ask yourself, are you worthy of my mother, who gave birth to children for the palace?"
There were many officials who had just returned from court passing by them. Prince Xian naturally did not want to make the family scandal public, so he quickly told Yin Jinglong to shut up.
"This is a matter of state affairs. Why bring up your mother? If you have any dissatisfaction, come home with me now and discuss it in detail in front of your mother."
"Why go back home? That place is clearly a den of demons that ate my mother's corpse and didn't even spit out the bones!"
"Asshole!"
Prince Xian slapped Yin Jinglong in the face, and his fair skin immediately turned red. Before he could say anything back, Prince Xian was so angry that he staggered to the ground.
The servants in the palace saw Prince Xian fall from a distance and hurried over to help him up.
The servants did not forget to accuse Yin Jinglong: "After all, he is your father. Does Prince Yin really want to see the prince die before he will stop?"
Prince Xian told him to shut up and ordered, "Hurry up and prepare the carriage to return home!"
As the servants helped him walk towards the carriage, Prince Xian was still crying to the heavens: "What sin have I committed? I finally had a son in my old age, but now I can't believe that my eldest son is missing and my youngest is unfilial. Does God want me to die with regrets? Oh, my Heng'er! Where are you? I'm afraid this old father won't live to see you one last time!"
Yin Jinglong's carriage also drove in from outside the palace gate. Seeing that he was standing still and was reluctant to get on, the driver urged him, "It's getting late, Your Highness, please get on the carriage and return home!"
The driver's urging tone made him, who was already annoyed, even more unhappy. He pushed the driver away, climbed onto the carriage, and ordered, "Go back to what mansion? Go to the princess's mansion!"
"promise!"
The driver didn't dare to breathe during the whole journey, fearing that he would say something wrong and anger him. As soon as he arrived at the princess's mansion, Yin Jinglong rushed in aggressively, regardless of the guards' obstruction.
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