Chapter 73. Ayu also said that things would get better…
Since the beginning of autumn, Yujing has been getting colder day by day.
Perhaps because she has been confined to this small space all day and unable to leave, Hengbo has been looking rather listless lately.
In stark contrast to her, Ji Heng's complexion became increasingly rosy.
Perhaps because life was gradually returning to the peaceful state it was before Princess Shenxiao returned to the capital, he even felt that raising this annoying niece for nothing wasn't so unbearable, since she could serve as a testament to his kindness and generosity while she was alive.
"Yu'er," Ji Heng rarely gave Hengbo a kind look, "tomorrow is an auspicious day that I had the Imperial Observatory calculate, the perfect time to establish your own residence and move. What do you think?"
If Hengbo hadn't known that her princess's mansion had only just been completed yesterday, she might have actually believed his nonsense. However, the fire that had been lit last time was now just a few embers; it was time to add more fuel. She didn't want Ji Heng to live too comfortably.
Hengbo nodded absentmindedly, and seeing that he didn't have anything useful to say, he made up an excuse and took his leave.
Upon hearing the translation of "The princess has gone back for her meal" beside him, Ji Heng could no longer maintain the forced smile on his face. He then comforted himself, "Oh well, I'll send this troublesome thing away tomorrow. Out of sight, out of mind."
...
"What's the big celebration today? The drums and gongs have been going on for almost an hour," the auntie holding her grandson asked.
"This is the Emperor himself moving Princess Shenxiao to her new residence. If you go there now, you might even see chests of gold and silver jewelry being carried in."
Upon hearing this, the chubby grandson in her arms immediately started waving his arms and shouting, "Grandma, I want to see! I want to see!"
"Okay, okay, Grandma will take our dear grandson to see it."
"Grandma, I want to go now."
"Okay, let's go now, let's go now."
Outside the Princess's residence, crowds of onlookers had formed layer upon layer, and the officials of the Prefect of the Capital formed a human wall to struggle against them. Today, the Prefect was to personally remove the plaque for Princess Shenxiao in disguise, and if these people offended a dignitary, they would be the first to lose their heads.
"My goodness!" the aunt exclaimed as she squeezed her way to the front of the crowd, momentarily forgetting to restrain her grandson who was struggling in her arms. "So impressive!"
"That's right, our Emperor is very magnanimous and doesn't hold grudges from back then..."
"Tch, if you ask me, it's Princess Shenxiao who deserves it. In this day and age, which man can quell the Japanese pirates? Which man can control the floods? Yet the princess, a young lady, has accomplished them all! This is what the princess deserves."
"It's a pity that men can be ennobled and appointed as prime ministers if they make a great contribution, but princesses can only get a good reputation."
"That's not fair!" The aunt, her emotions stirred up, became agitated: "Why can't we women be officials? Although your aunt is old and useless, I've seen plenty of capable girls!"
"Alas, that's how the world is; there's no point in saying more."
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," a clear voice interrupted their conversation, "is this the residence of Princess Shenxiao?"
The elderly men and women looked over at the sound and saw a young man carrying a bundle on his back. He looked a little disheveled, his clothes were simple but neat, and he spoke with a slight Minnan accent. However, because of his very polite manners, they were more patient with him.
The older woman answered first: "This is the Princess's residence. Young man, have you just arrived in Yujing? You've already stumbled upon this lively place."
The boy scratched his head and said shyly, "Auntie, I didn't come here to watch the fun. To tell you the truth, I went through all sorts of hardships to bring this to Yujing from Quzhou, all for the sake of the princess!"
The old man glanced at him and exclaimed in amazement, "That's so far, it must be difficult!"
“However,” the group looked him up and down suspiciously, “you’re related to the princess? Are you also a member of the royal family?”
Although they don't look like wealthy people, you can't judge a book by its cover. Maybe they are?
The young man quickly waved his hand, "I am just a commoner, the princess doesn't even know me."
The old man snorted, "Then you dare to spout nonsense about coming to see the princess. You're not old, but you've got quite the nerve."
"Oh dear," the boy said, his face flushed with anxiety, "I came to see the princess because..."
Just then, the heavily armed Imperial Guards pierced the crowd like sharp blades, while Princess Shenxiao and a group of nobles were protected among them and slowly approached.
The crowd invariably turned their attention to that spot, thus overlooking the boy who moved nimbly in and out of the crowd like an eel.
"Princess!" A young man who had somehow broken through the wall of people knelt down in front of Hengbo with a thud. "I am Yang Yun, from Ning County, Quzhou. This summer's disaster and rains will bring calamity to countless people, and the Japanese pirates who have been entrenched here for years have been a menace to all directions."
"It was the princess who secretly obeyed His Majesty's order to stop the flood and avert disaster! The people of Quzhou are all grateful for the princess's kindness, but they have heard that the princess has returned to the capital to receive her honors, so they can only build a temple for her portrait to spread her fame."
"We students all know that the princess's righteous act is not about fame, but about the peace and prosperity of the people and the nation. Today, on behalf of all the students of Quzhou, I hereby swear that we are willing to serve under the princess, to be at her beck and call, and to dedicate ourselves to the country!"
“Princess,” he opened the bundle, revealing a roll of paper filled with the sincere hearts of the young students, “we will certainly work hard and strive to improve ourselves. We hope that the princess will not find us lacking and will grant us our wish to repay her kindness.”
“Yun was the first to approach the princess, but he will certainly not be the last.”
As he spoke, he forcefully threw the paper in his hand, and the documents that fell from the air were snatched up one by one by the onlookers and passed from one to another.
It is said that scholars are aloof and arrogant, and that men have the right to kneel. But when they encounter a wise ruler, their heads will involuntarily bow, and their knees will willingly bend.
"Well written!"
"Who can argue with that?"
"It's time to pass it on to me, so I can also absorb some of its literary charm."
The emotions of the onlookers were also ignited by these burning hearts. They felt that the pearls and jade treasures that had just been so coveted had suddenly lost their luster, and the magnificent courtyard actually looked quite ordinary.
The emperor is too stingy. He won't even grant her a title or a high position. Princess Shenxiao shouldn't be inferior to the other two princesses, right? But speaking of granting her a title or a high position, if you think about it carefully, you can actually consider it.
A wise person avoids dangerous situations, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't eavesdrop on others.
As expected, Ji Heng, who was traveling incognito not far away, turned pale.
Building temples, gaining fame, and offering services—all of these actions crossed Ji Heng's bottom line. The thought that in the remote Lingnan region, beyond his reach, some people only knew Shenxiao and not him filled Ji Heng with horror and anger.
However, he could not show the slightest dissatisfaction. After all, in the eyes of the people, Princess Shenxiao was carrying out the emperor's mission. If he were to discard her after she had served her purpose, he would immediately lose the people's support.
But these are not what Ji Heng truly fears. Only things that can genuinely threaten the power in his hands will make a monarch feel a real sense of crisis; compared to that, a good reputation is merely icing on the cake.
At this moment, Ji Heng finally realized that Shenxiao had the right to sit down and negotiate with him.
The love and respect of the people across the continent and the support of the students are her bargaining chips.
Throughout history, monarchs have always had two strategies when faced with ministers who are too capable and have too much prestige: one is to eliminate them.
Ruthless tyrants who don't care about their reputation often resort to this method. They don't mind being portrayed as tyrants after their death; once a person dies, it's like a lamp going out—dying with a good reputation won't guarantee a good reincarnation. They'd rather die quickly and without consequence than suffer the indignity.
Such people are usually decisive and ruthless.
However, the majority chose the other option: to be granted amnesty. No matter how capable you are, a ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject. You still have to work for me, while I can effortlessly gain a reputation for recognizing and utilizing talent. Why not?
Such people are mostly intelligent.
As for Ji Heng, he chose the second option because even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and even if Princess Shenxiao is now in dire straits, he can't just kill her whenever he wants.
At this moment, Hengbo truly appears somewhat innocent and pitiful.
A wise ruler doesn't need to do everything personally, and subordinates need ample space to showcase their talents. Therefore, Hengbo merely provided a clear need, and the current situation was truly something she hadn't anticipated.
It is well known that a person tends to be particularly hurried when they are in an awkward situation, and this saying is no exception for the legendary Princess Shenxiao.
After receiving a truly grand salute, Hengbo's expression shifted through four stages as the boy recounted his story: surprise, emotion, excitement, and desolation. Meanwhile, unseen by others, the sole of her right boot had noticeably thinned by one or two layers.
Everyone who saw him sighed, "What a pitiful little guy, all ready to be full of ambition but unable to achieve his goals!"
That very night, while the people of the capital were still indignant for the poor Princess Shenxiao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice received a message from his old servant: his father had fallen a few days ago, lay in bed for several days but still couldn't recover, and had passed away.
The following day, the memorial from the Vice Minister of Justice requesting permission to observe the mourning period for his father, along with the public sentiment that had been brewing all day, were placed on the emperor's desk.
After that, the Princess's residence was filled with joy once again.
Princess Shenxiao was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, becoming not only the first female official since the founding of the dynasty, but also a third-rank official upon entering officialdom, causing a sensation at the time.
At the Wen residence, Old Master Wen summoned his grandson and complained with disapproval, "The princess's actions were too rash, and you didn't even try to stop her." He believed in planning before acting, otherwise, his old subordinates would not have been able to retain their support after Ji Heng came to power.
Wen Tinglan smiled gently, "Ayu said that forbearance and lying low is indeed the safest approach, but if you play the fool for too long, you will really become a fool. If you keep your trump cards hidden, they will also become dead cards. She did not come back this time to continue hiding in the gutter with her old subordinates."
“She trusts her old subordinates,” he turned to his grandfather, “and hopes they trust her too.”
Wen Yue felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, and he turned his head away. "Of course the old subordinates believe in the princess, otherwise why have they lingered on for so many years?"
Wen Tinglan lowered her head, giving the old man face and pretending not to see the light shining in the deep furrows of his eyes. "Ayu also said that things will get better."
"Of course I believe you!" the old man hummed softly. "He keeps calling me 'Ayu,' even though he's a heartless man, he still calls me so affectionately."
After saying that, he asked again, still unwilling to give up, "What exactly is going on between you and the princess?"
Wen Tinglan ignored him and turned to leave.
"You stubborn brat," the old man scolded him angrily, then his voice lowered, "You are my grandson, and I hope you will take better care of yourself."
Love breeds fear, love brings much sorrow, and love can lead to self-destruction.
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