Chapter 53 Making Outrageous Remarks
Emperor Chunming did not sleep all night.
He knew Lu Qi would make his move at the lantern festival tonight, and he personally led a group of dozens of his skilled men, so he might not be without a chance of winning.
The prince's swordsmanship is indeed not to be underestimated, but his headaches will always be a hidden danger when he fights and battles, especially in an extremely noisy environment like the Lantern Festival, which is more likely to trigger his headaches.
The previous stray arrows had struck him hard when he was afflicted with a headache and powerless to retaliate. Today's Lantern Festival was also a perfect opportunity.
But Emperor Chunming never expected that before he could receive any news from Lu Qi, news of the collapse of the Qiandumen Lighthouse would arrive first from the Qianqing Palace.
Minister of Works Xue Jingzhi and his two vice ministers went to the palace overnight to plead guilty.
When Emperor Chunming learned that there had been no serious casualties and that only a dozen or so soldiers and civilians had suffered minor injuries, he was greatly relieved.
But when he learned that the Crown Prince had discovered the hidden dangers of the lighthouse long ago and had secretly made arrangements to evacuate the people in time before it collapsed that night, his feelings became subtly complicated.
Some even had doubts: "How did the Crown Prince manage to attract people to the Water Mirror Terrace? How could a mere play draw half the population of the Imperial Street there?"
The official in charge of the lighthouse construction had just returned from Qiandu Gate. Knowing that this investigation would likely bring him to grave danger, he was drenched in cold sweat, his teeth chattering, yet he had no choice but to reply: "The song on stage is... about the affair between the heir of the Marquis of Ningde and Consort Yu..."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chunming's mind went black for a moment. After a brief moment of shock, his blood rushed to the top of his head. If he hadn't clenched his fists and held his emotions firmly, he would have collapsed.
The assembled officials knelt and cried out, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger..."
Emperor Chunming could not quell his anger. The emperor, who had remained calm and composed for twenty years, was now like a raging lion. He strode forward and kicked the official in charge of the Ministry of Works in the shoulder, squeezing out a furious curse through gritted teeth: "You have embezzled public funds and are blinded by greed. Where do you place the law? Where do you place my dignity?"
This kick used almost all of his strength, causing the Ministry of Works official to fall heavily to the ground, unable to get up. He could only kneel upright in pain, trembling and begging for mercy.
The people below all knelt down, their foreheads pressed tightly to the ground, their whole bodies trembling, not daring to look up at the king's expression.
After a long while, Emperor Chunming suppressed his surging anger and slowly sorted out his thoughts.
The Crown Prince knew that the lighthouse would collapse today, but he did not inform the Ministry of Works in advance to repair and stabilize it, nor did he notify the Imperial Guards to take precautions. Instead, he allowed the lighthouse to collapse and secretly made arrangements to turn the royal scandal into a play to divert the public's attention. This would not only avoid casualties, but also expose the scandalous affairs of the inner palace to everyone, making him lose face and, incidentally, enhancing his own reputation!
A brilliant move by the Crown Prince, achieving multiple goals at once!
Emperor Chunming clenched his fists tightly, suppressing his overwhelming rage, and managed not to execute these corrupt and derelict good-for-nothings on the spot!
When Lu Qi returned to the palace to report, Emperor Chunming knew that the assassination attempt had failed again that night.
Lu Qi, with an injured right calf, limped into the hall and knelt with difficulty: "Your humble servant..."
Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Chunming waved his hand, throwing the mountain of memorials piled on his desk at him. "Useless!"
Lu Qi hurriedly prostrated himself and begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, I did not expect that the Crown Prince was prepared tonight..."
Emperor Chunming's face turned ashen. He spun around twice on the spot. "What use are you to me? You can't find out the hidden dangers of the lighthouse. You know nothing about how many people the Crown Prince took out of the palace or what he was secretly plotting. Do you really think he left the palace tonight just to win a smile from a beauty?"
Lu Qi hurriedly said, "It was my oversight, Your Majesty, please punish me! However, the Crown Prince did protect that palace maid who served him from beginning to end, which gave me the opportunity to injure him in the waist and abdomen..."
Emperor Chunming didn't want to hear any of this. In the past, if the Crown Prince had been seriously injured, he could have vented his anger and considered what could be done about it. But now he didn't want to wait any longer. Apart from the last layer of pretense between them, the Crown Prince had given him too many "surprises" in the three months since he returned to the capital.
The purge of the Eastern Palace directly sent spies who had been tortured to death back to the Kunning Palace, causing much discussion in both the court and the harem.
They uncovered the truth behind the death of sacrificial animals last year and forced Prince Chen to hand over his trusted confidants;
At the New Year's Eve banquet, knowing full well that Xie Huaichuan and Yu Shi were having an affair, she disregarded the royal family's reputation and tricked him into showing up, catching them in the act in front of everyone.
Today, his scandalous affairs in the harem have been spread far and wide, becoming known to everyone!
The thought that the royal secrets he had painstakingly concealed had been spread far and wide, becoming the talk of the town, made Emperor Chunming's heart burn like fire, and he wished he could tear him to pieces!
He could silence all the palace servants in Chaoyang Palace, but he couldn't stop the gossip and exterminate all the people present today.
The crown prince values this point and wants to ruin his reputation, turning the dignified emperor into a laughing stock among the people!
A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Emperor Chunming's eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care what methods you use, get rid of him as soon as possible! If he doesn't die, it will be you and me who die in the future!"
Lu Qi's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he immediately accepted the order.
As for the collapse of the Qiandumen Lighthouse, if it is not thoroughly investigated and severely punished, Emperor Chunming will be unable to explain himself to the people, and his reputation as a wise ruler for many years will be questioned by his officials and the people.
Minister of Works Xue Jingzhi was his trusted minister. Now that the lighthouse has collapsed, all the officials involved in the Ministry of Works will inevitably be dismissed and investigated, and Xue Jingzhi, as the Minister, will be the first to be punished.
Emperor Chunming ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Court of Judicial Review to conduct an in-depth investigation into the cause of the lighthouse collapse. They eventually identified several officials who had embezzled public funds for repairs, used substandard materials, and delayed wages, driving the craftsmen to their deaths.
Minister of Works Xue Jingzhi was dismissed and investigated. The Left Vice Minister was fined three years' salary, demoted three ranks and transferred. The Right Vice Minister embezzled public funds, was flogged eighty times and exiled to the frontier. The Assistant Minister of Works in charge of the lighthouse construction was sentenced to confiscation of property and beheading. Another official and three supervisors embezzled more than one hundred taels of silver, and all of them had their property confiscated and were executed in the autumn.
The Ministry of Works was busy at the beginning of the year, with construction, forestry, water conservancy, and land reclamation all requiring planning and preparation. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Revenue, which was originally under the jurisdiction of the Marquis of Ningde, was leaderless. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Crown Prince recommended two officials to fill the positions in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.
These two men were originally promoted but demoted by Emperor Chunming during the Crown Prince's campaign against Northern Wei, and were transferred away from the capital. Now, Emperor Chunming has no choice but to bring them back.
The promotion and removal of officials ultimately boils down to the power struggle between Emperor Chunming and the Crown Prince. Once the Crown Prince dies, Emperor Chunming can gradually eliminate him and his supporters, such as the late emperor.
However, Emperor Chunming had already dealt with a group of officials led by the Marquis of Ningde at the beginning of the year, and in just a few dozen days, the entire Ministry of Works was purged, causing turmoil in the court and the country, and everyone felt insecure.
After much deliberation, Emperor Chunming ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to spread the news that the collapse of the Shangyuan Qiandu Gate lighthouse was actually a move by the Crown Prince to eliminate dissidents. Only by bringing down these Ministry of Works officials could the Crown Prince support his confidants to ascend to the throne.
The rumors quickly spread among the court officials and the common people. Those who were already afraid of the crown prince's tyranny believed them without a doubt. Soon the tide turned and even the two officials recommended by the crown prince were criticized and cursed by the people.
Of course, given Emperor Chunming's long-standing pretense, he still maintained a harmonious uncle-nephew relationship with the Crown Prince in public.
During a meeting in the Imperial Study that day, the Crown Prince leisurely stared at Lu Qi's slightly lame right leg and asked, "Commander Lu, are you still not fully recovered?"
Lu Qi said, "Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness."
Lu Qi claimed that his right leg injury was caused by a fire in the backyard of his residence, in which a broken roof beam struck his right leg. He was able to walk after recovering at home for half a month, and he is still unable to move around easily.
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Commander Lu went through fire and water for His Majesty. Even when he was seriously injured, he still worked diligently and devoted himself to public service. I admire him very much."
He then looked at Emperor Chunming and said, "It is not appropriate to entrust Commander Lu with important responsibilities now that he is unable to walk. Your Majesty should promote new people."
At this point, Emperor Chunming instinctively became wary. "Lu Qi is reliable in his work, but I can't rest easy entrusting some matters to others."
The Crown Prince laughed and said, "That may be true, but to outsiders, it might seem that His Majesty has no one else to rely on. Besides, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is the emperor's personal guard, representing the royal style. Those promoted are always guards with exceptional skills and dignified appearances. I do have a candidate in mind. Would His Majesty be willing to listen?"
His words were barbed and even insulted Lu Qi's appearance. If it weren't for the fact that only the emperor and his minister knew about Lu Qi's private affairs, Emperor Chunming would have even thought that the crown prince had found out something.
The court has been in turmoil these past few days, with the Crown Prince promoting many officials. Emperor Chunming is already used to this kind of rhetoric.
However, he always had a reasonable explanation, so even if Emperor Chunming wanted to refuse, it would easily give others grounds for criticism.
Emperor Chunming smiled and asked, "Whom does the Crown Prince wish to recommend?"
The Crown Prince said, "Sheng Yu was the top martial arts champion of the first year of the Tianqi reign."
After saying that, he gave Lu Qi a meaningful look and asked, "Commander Lu should recognize this person?"
Despite being partially concealed by a bronze mask, the Crown Prince still noticed Lu Qi's slightly trembling pupils.
"Sheng Yu... Twenty years ago, he and I were both military officers under the late emperor, and he was highly valued by him."
"Why did the Crown Prince specifically mention this person in front of me?"
"Others may not recognize me, but Sheng Yu might..."
Lu Qi tried his best to suppress his unease and said, "As far as I know, during the great battle in the northern frontier, Your Majesty held those responsible accountable according to the law. Sheng Yu was also demoted two ranks and should now be appointed as the commander of Pengcheng Guard."
The Crown Prince said, "With Sheng Yu's talent, it would be a waste to appoint him as a commander of a thousand. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is currently short of a deputy commander, and Sheng Yu has served as a deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard before. I think he is capable of the job."
If the Crown Prince hadn't mentioned this person, Emperor Chunming would have almost forgotten about Sheng Yu. He vaguely remembered that Sheng Yu was tall and handsome, and was quite the rising star in the capital. Later, when the late emperor was seriously injured and died, Emperor Chunming used the excuse of holding him accountable to demote or exile his generals, including Sheng Yu.
The Crown Prince's sudden promotion of this man was clearly intended to recruit him into his own service and place his own people among his personal guards.
Emperor Chunming said, "There's no rush to select members for the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."
The Crown Prince raised his voice to interrupt: "Is it that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not short of people, or does His Majesty question my ability to appoint virtuous and capable people?"
He smiled, but there was no smile in his dark eyes.
Emperor Chunming clenched his fist secretly, suppressing his anger, and said, "The Crown Prince knows that I had no such intention."
The Crown Prince solemnly said, "Sheng Yu served under the late Emperor. He was young and made outstanding military achievements, rising to the rank of a third-grade military officer. He had no major faults, yet he was suppressed for twenty years and could not be promoted. The one who should be questioned is not me, but Your Majesty."
Emperor Chunming's eyes twitched slightly. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "If that's the case, then I'll do as you say. I'll promote Sheng Yu to the position of Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and have him return to the capital to take up his post immediately."
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
After Emperor Chunming finished speaking, he exchanged a glance with Lu Qi.
Promotion is not difficult; whether he can safely take up his post depends entirely on his abilities.
...
The Crown Prince has been very busy with official duties lately, attending court and discussing matters during the day and often returning home late at night.
His waist and abdomen wound had just healed, and Yun Kui had started her period again, so he had to put aside his original idea of exploring yin and yang.
During the day, Yun Kui would either go to learn how to comb hair from Granny Yan or hide in Chengguang Hall to read storybooks, living a very leisurely and carefree life.
The Crown Prince probably couldn't bear to see her so idle, so he would wake her up every morning to comb her hair. After much practice, Yun Kui's hair bun was already quite well done. Now, when she went to the inner chambers to learn how to comb hair buns, it was mostly to pass the time and chat with Granny Yan.
As Granny Yan grew old, her biggest worry was the Crown Prince's marriage and offspring. Unable to ask the Crown Prince for a personal audience or urge him, she could only inquire with Yun Kui.
Yun Kui was also helpless: "Your Highness is busy with state affairs and was injured some time ago, so the matter of appointing a Crown Princess can only be postponed."
Granny Yan knew in her heart that the Emperor and Empress wouldn't care about the Crown Prince's marriage. She sighed and looked at her belly: "What about you? Why hasn't your belly shown any signs of pregnancy?"
Yun Kui was both amused and exasperated. She and His Highness the Crown Prince had only spent one night together. How could everyone be as lucky as the Marquis of Ningde's son, who had a child in one fell swoop?
Granny Yan sighed, "The late emperor had few children, and His Highness has delayed until now. I am so old, how will I face Empress Huigong when I go to the underworld..."
Yun Kui: "..."
She could only make up some nonsense to comfort him: "Don't worry, Granny, when we get back tonight, I'll try it out with His Highness the Crown Prince a few more times."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door frame creaked open.
The crown prince, dressed in a black brocade robe, stood outside the door, staring at her with a deep gaze.
Yun Kui turned around and saw who it was, and was immediately shocked: "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
After leaving Chongming Palace, the Crown Prince, on a whim, took a detour to the back room to visit Granny Yan and pick her up. However, he had barely reached the door when he heard the girl spouting nonsense.
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