Chapter 32 I am willing to travel with the Prince.
Chu Heng could be said to be standing up for Daiyu, or he could be said to be supporting Daiyu. Daiyu wasn't ungrateful; she was grateful to him, but she couldn't help feeling somewhat at a loss.
They were not truly close; they were merely bound together by an arranged marriage. Sometimes, Daiyu didn't know how to deal with Chuheng's kindness.
“I know Your Highness is trying to help me…” It would be too impulsive to interrupt him so rashly, so Daiyu spoke up again before he could finish.
Chu Heng breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought you were unhappy again."
Daiyu asked in surprise, "Your Highness has helped me a great deal, and I don't know how to thank you. Why do you think I would be unhappy?"
“Uh…” Chu Heng hesitated for a moment, “Perhaps it’s because I always make mistakes.”
He didn't know how to make Daiyu happy; sometimes his attempts to make her happy backfired.
Daiyu, wanting to ease the tension, joked upon hearing this, "I only realized today that in the Prince's eyes, I am still a person with unpredictable moods."
Chu Heng was taken aback, then quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, it's my fault. Miss Lin... you're very good."
Daiyu smiled so much her eyes crinkled: "Thank you, Your Highness. You are very kind too."
Seeing her smiling face, Chu Heng couldn't help but laugh as well: "I'm telling the truth, Miss Lin, I'm not just being polite."
"Oh!" Daiyu feigned surprise. "Does Your Highness think I'm being insincere?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Heng's smiling eyes showed a hint of helplessness, but more so admiration and affection. He smiled and said, "Of course I believe that you are sincere, Miss."
Daiyu was slightly taken aback. He spoke so seriously, it didn't sound like a joke. She couldn't help but look into his eyes, but Chu Heng subtly looked away.
He slowly took a few steps forward, lowering his voice: "Let's not delay any longer, Miss Lin. Let's talk about the important things first. I've already read the letter." He paused for a moment, then continued after walking into the courtyard, "Does Miss Lin also believe that His Majesty is a better choice?"
Daiyu still had a lingering smile in her eyes, but her tone became serious: "The Emperor is the Emperor after all. He is not the Empress Dowager's puppet, and he holds the title of righteousness. In terms of long-term benefits, I really can't think of any reason to choose the Empress Dowager."
"Is that what His Highness thinks too?" Daiyu asked.
Chu Heng sighed: "It has been three years since the late emperor passed away. His Majesty has almost consolidated all power. Only the Empress Dowager is able to hinder him, so he is already impatient."
“If Your Highness were unwell, you could have avoided it, but now…” Daiyu looked at him, “pretending to be sick is clearly not the solution, Your Highness has to get involved.”
Chu Heng said, "I've always only wanted to protect myself."
Daiyu said, "The prince was born into the royal family and has no choice in his own destiny."
After a moment of silence, Chu Heng said, "Miss Lin, do you remember Princess Heqing that I mentioned to Yongkang before?"
“I remember, Princess Heqing married the youngest son of Consort Wu’s maternal grandfather. In order to enhance the Second Prince’s status, His Majesty even granted the Fang family’s patriarch the title of Duke, saying it would bring honor to the princess,” Daiyu said. “I’ve always wondered, since the Empress Dowager favored the First Prince, did she just let His Majesty do this? Or did the Empress Dowager gain more benefits from it?”
Chu Heng smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager is Heqing's legal mother, and her marriage should have been approved by her. However, His Majesty deliberately brought it up at the family banquet, making it an irreconcilable point. The Empress Dowager could not publicly refute His Majesty, so she had no choice but to accept it. As for what happened afterward..."
“The Fang family has gained two more marquises.” Daiyu silently calculated, “Now the Fang family has three dukes and five marquises.”
Since the beginning of this dynasty, there has never been a family as illustrious as the Fang family.
She originally knew very little about what was happening outside. She only found out about this because she had paid attention to it that day and casually asked Yongkang about it while they were chatting at Longhua Temple.
“The Empress Dowager’s ambition is too great; His Majesty cannot tolerate it,” Chu Heng said. “When the Empress was still the Crown Princess, her grandfather, Li Yao, was the Grand Tutor, the Grand Secretary, and the Minister of Personnel. Dozens of his family members held official positions. Gradually, the Fang family inherited all of this. At that time, His Majesty needed the Fang family’s assistance. Later, His Majesty took the Empress Dowager and the Fang family as a warning and has always been wary of his maternal relatives. Now, not a single member of the Li family holds a rank of fourth grade or higher.”
"But His Majesty promoted Consort Wu's family members. Aren't they also relatives of the Empress?" Daiyu asked doubtfully. "Could His Majesty have another plan?"
Chu Heng said, "The rule for establishing an heir has always been that if there is a legitimate heir, the eldest son should be chosen; if there is no legitimate heir, the eldest son should be chosen. The eldest prince is both the legitimate son and the eldest son. His Majesty wants to bypass the eldest prince and establish the second prince. Even though the second prince is more intelligent than the eldest prince, he cannot surpass him in terms of status. His Majesty has no intention of deposing the empress for the time being, so he will have to work on other things."
Daiyu shook her head and said, "If His Majesty insists on establishing a second prince, how can the Empress and the eldest prince be willing to accept it? There will inevitably be open and covert struggles."
“Those involved are often blinded by their own interests,” Chu Heng said. “His Majesty thinks he can handle things well. Whether it’s the conflict between the Empress and the First Prince and Consort Wu and the Second Prince, or Consort Wu’s future relatives, His Majesty thinks they are nothing to worry about.”
Daiyu pondered for a moment and said, "His Majesty believes that his only major threats are the Empress Dowager and the Fang family. When His Majesty uses the Prince, it is also to deal with them."
Chu Heng nodded, his expression somewhat ambiguous, and said, "His Majesty doesn't want to create another Fang family, and he's even more worried about letting other members of the imperial clan hold great power. He also believes that the Empress Dowager won't be on guard against me, so if he promotes me, the Empress Dowager won't be too resentful."
Daiyu paused, then said, "Also, the Prince and the Emperor are brothers. Without his maternal family or a powerful in-law family, after being promoted by the Emperor, his only support is him. From now on..."
"It's convenient for His Majesty to cross the river and then discard the bridge, to kill the donkey after it has done its work." Chu Heng curled the corners of his mouth and continued Daiyu's words.
From prince to emperor, the emperor has always done this: being his relative is not as good as simply being his courtier, at least they will not be abandoned by the emperor at any time.
After a long pause, Daiyu asked, "Has Your Highness ever considered taking up a fiefdom?"
In name, the princes of this dynasty all have their own fiefdoms, although they have little jurisdiction over them, the advantage of which is that they can stay away from the capital.
Chu Heng shook his head and said, "Not to mention the Emperor, the Empress Dowager will not let me leave the capital. She wants everyone to think that I am her most beloved youngest son. Since she favors me, I naturally have to be treated differently."
This is also why the emperor has his eye on Chu Heng. Daiyu understands that he tends to choose the emperor not only because it is more advantageous, but also because he cannot avoid him no matter what.
Daiyu added, "Or perhaps, taking up a fiefdom would be the prince's way out in the future."
Compared to crossing the river and then destroying the bridge, or discarding the donkey after it has served its purpose, perhaps "discarding the bow after the birds are all gone" is a slightly better ending.
Chu Heng gave a wry smile: "I'm under your roof." He looked at Daiyu apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss Lin, I've dragged you down."
Daiyu smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "Three hundred and sixty days a year, I am constantly besieged by wind and frost. Do you think I can have any happy days in this house? It would be better to stay with you and at least we can fight for ourselves and maybe have a few days of peace in the future."
In this family, she might only be able to be at the mercy of others.
Chu Heng frowned. What kind of life had Miss Lin been living in the Jia family all these years? How much grievance had she suffered? But she didn't seem inclined to elaborate, so he didn't press her for details.
There was always a barrier between them.
but……
Chu Heng looked at Daiyu and saw the resolute look in her eyes. He felt he was getting to know Daiyu better. This seemingly frail girl had a heart that was completely different from her appearance.
Chu Heng was even more captivated by Daiyu's beauty.
"Though I am foolish and clumsy, with Miss Lin's help, a comfortable day will surely come." Chu Heng looked at Daiyu, his tone serious.
It sounds like a promise, Daiyu thought to herself.
Daiyu also solemnly said, "Your Highness is too modest. I am willing to travel with Your Highness."
"Alright," Chu Heng said with a smile, "I hope that both Miss Lin and I will soon have our wishes fulfilled."
...
Before they knew it, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although Grandmother Jia was not in the mood this year, she still arranged for the whole family to enjoy the moon.
Chu Heng brought a lot of fruits and mooncakes. Daiyu kept some for the people in the room to eat, and to avoid waste, she gave the rest to Wang Xifeng to use when she enjoyed the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Ping'er came over and thanked her: "Grandma asked me to come and thank Miss Lin! The fifteenth is just around the corner, and our grandma has to keep an eye on things everywhere. She really can't spare any time and can't do without her. After the fifteenth, our grandma will definitely come to thank Miss Lin in person."
"I'm just using your knowledge to my advantage," Daiyu said with a smile. "Ping-jie, please sit down and have a cup of tea."
Ping'er smiled and said, "Thank you, Miss, but there's really no room. I have a lot to do ahead of me!"
Daiyu didn't insist that she stay, but just smiled and said, "Come over for tea with your grandmother another day when you have time. I've saved some good tea leaves for her!"
Ping'er smiled and agreed. The maid at the door lifted the curtain, and Zijuan escorted her to the platform.
When Zijuan returned, she instructed the maid to close the curtain, then opened the cabinet and took out a bottle of perfume that Chu Heng had just sent. She took a teaspoonful into a cup, poured water into it, and brought it to Daiyu. Seeing that Daiyu was in a daze, she asked, "What are you thinking about, Miss?"
Daiyu said, "I'm afraid this year's fifteenth will be difficult to get through."
Zijuan whispered, "That's right. The mooncakes are fine, since we have a pastry chef at home. But I heard that the harvest on the estate is getting worse this year, and we can't even find decent fruits. Second Madam Lian was busy sending Ping'er over to thank you, Miss. It's clear that what you gave her has eased her immediate crisis!"
Daiyu sighed and said, "If only this were the only urgent problem."
The moon-viewing banquet on the fifteenth of August was meticulously planned, but on the day itself, Wang Xifeng was absent due to illness, and the Xue family was too ashamed to attend. Only a handful of people were present, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of previous years.
Daiyu couldn't help but feel heartbroken, but she knew that the Jia family's deep-seated problems couldn't be solved by one person alone. This was just a coincidence, and it was also because she and Wang Xifeng were on good terms that she helped her out.
Daiyu had absolutely no intention of using herself to fill the Jia family's financial hole. The Jia family men who had created the hole were not flustered and continued to enjoy their lives as usual, so why should she bother with such a thing?
Besides, didn't Daiyu fill the holes in the Jia family's coffers?
What's the use of throwing money at the Lin family's silver and the Xue family's silver if the Jia family doesn't change its ways?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
