Chapter 115
On the other side, the servants in the Ning'an Prince's Mansion walked silently, back and forth, but each of them carried a barely perceptible worry on their face.
Prince Ning'an, Zhao Kun, did indeed encounter several ambushes on his way back to the city, and was already wounded by arrows before Bai Yiqing arrived. After several twists and turns, Zhao Kun was brought back, pale-faced, lying in bed. His lips were even paler than during the past ten years when he had been feigning illness. The old steward was moved to tears and sighed frequently.
Outside, a fine, silent autumn rain fell, covering the courtyard with withered leaves clinging to the treetops. The incense burner held newly brewed osmanthus fragrance, its wisps of smoke dissipating into the air.
Bai Yiqing sat cross-legged on the carpet in the main room, with a small stove in front of him, where tea was bubbling away. He stared intently at the rain outside, motionless, lost in thought.
Suddenly, his vision went dark as a figure blocked his view and sat down opposite him at the tea table.
The handsome young master Bai blinked and looked away.
His dark eyes stared at the person opposite him, a questioning expression on his face.
"He's been taking medication for too many years, so his health wasn't very good to begin with. Although he's started taking care of himself these past two years, his foundation is still damaged. This injury was extremely dangerous, but in my opinion, he's already passed the most dangerous moment." The speaker's voice was hoarse, deep, and gentle.
He looked to be in his early thirties, but his temples already showed faint graying, giving him a weathered appearance that seemed out of place for his age. His clothes were just ordinary dark blue cloth, not even a long robe.
Bai Yiqing paused for a moment before saying, "It seems you've spent a lot of time studying medicine these past few years." After a pause, he added, "And you completely ignore these matters of the court?"
The man in blue slowly picked up the small teacup on the table, took a sip, and smiled, "I grew up in the treacherous palace, and I thought that was my destiny. But now, living in seclusion in the countryside is a peace I never imagined. I have gained an unprecedented sense of freedom, which is quite nice."
“But your surname is Zhao.” Bai Yiqing said without changing his expression.
The man in blue smiled and said, "There are many people with the surname Zhao."
Bai Yiqing turned his head to look into the inner room, where a faint smell of medicine wafted out. He said, "What if he fails? Do you want to watch this world collapse, Prince Su?"
The man in blue paused in his tea-serving hand. He hadn't heard anyone call those two words in a long time, as if those distant glories and sorrows had suddenly appeared before him, making him momentarily disoriented.
He remained silent for a long time, until he steadily finished the cup of tea, before slowly chuckling: "Who was that? I remember, he died seven years ago. He was sentenced to death by his most trusted father... and his aunt."
Bai Yiqing's eyelashes trembled slightly. He looked up at his brother, who had once been so spirited and led a group of children to run and jump around in the palace's back garden, and felt an indescribable bitterness welling up in his heart.
The "aunt" mentioned by the other party was his mother, who personally orchestrated that fabricated treason case back then, causing this upright, honest, intelligent, humble, and born king prince to fall from his pedestal and become a fugitive overnight.
He was still young then, and in his doubts, he chose to trust the adults' judgment. But later, with more and more inexplicable instructions, he began to feel uneasy. At first, he thought that his mother was senile, had poor eyesight, or had a personal grudge against someone, which was why she chose to support the cruel and incompetent Zhao Bing. But soon, she overturned her own choice and began to support the Prince of Ning'an.
The mention of Prince Ning'an was unintentional, stemming from his unbearable dismay at the Crown Prince's cruelty and his unwillingness to see the Kingdom of Nanwu fall into the hands of such a person. At the time, his mother deeply agreed with his assessment, leading him to believe she had finally awakened and recognized Zhao Bing's incompetence. But who could have imagined… she was actually helping both sides? It was as if he were playing a game against himself, with everyone else a pawn on her chessboard. She wanted to incite a chaotic war between the two sides, plunging the Kingdom of Nanwu into endless factional strife, disregarding even the lives of its people.
He tried to trace the reasons, wondering if his mother had suffered some injustice in her youth that would cause her to harbor such deep hatred for the Nanwu Kingdom, and whether she was stirring up trouble in the court just to witness a bloody conflict between her own flesh and blood...
But it didn't happen.
Princess Yuanzhao's life was smooth sailing, even rather uneventful. She was unremarkable as a child, and as she grew up, she obediently followed the late emperor's decree to marry. In her early years, she and her father were a harmonious and respectful couple. But beneath this unremarkable exterior, he would sometimes suddenly feel that his mother was not like his mother.
Beneath her seemingly ordinary appearance lies a free spirit. Sometimes, even the way she suddenly looks at him makes him feel completely unfamiliar.
He finally began to awaken, secretly investigating the truth behind the treason case and searching for his elder brother. He knew that Prince Su was not dead because Princess Yuanzhao had shown mercy and secretly switched him with another man.
See, his mother was such a contradictory person, with a strange tolerance amidst her absurdity.
"But you didn't die after all, did you?" Bai Yiqing's voice was so soft that only the two people inside the room could hear it.
Prince Su seemed not to hear, and reached out to continue adding tea. Years ago, he had one of his middle fingers cut off for a theatrical performance, and now he only had four.
Tea splashed out in tiny droplets, releasing its unique aroma: "Wrong, he's dead. There will be no more Prince Su in this world." Then she turned her head to gesture to Prince Ning'an lying in the room, "Wasn't he more suitable than me? Patient, resolute, and concerned for the common people, he will wake up, and with all our prayers, he will ascend the throne and bring peace back to the world."
***
Qin Sang was engrossed in organizing clues at her desk, her long, dark hair cascading over her slender shoulders and falling onto the papers. Ying'er was dozing off while boiling water nearby.
Five days have passed since the news of Prince Ning'an's return to the capital arrived. According to the message sent back by Qin Baoyun, Prince Ning'an's mansion appears calm on the surface, but in reality, it is heavily guarded inside and out. Even a cat or dog that gets close will not be able to escape with a whole body. Therefore, although some people on the Crown Prince's side are eager to try, they have not been able to find a way.
The previously turbulent situation had a brief period of equilibrium, and everything seemed to have calmed down. For whatever reason, the Crown Prince's faction dared not act rashly for the time being, and the Emperor had not made any pronouncements about deposing the Crown Prince.
But just yesterday, news came back that the disaster victims outside the city had finally been properly resettled and were heading back to their hometowns.
Meanwhile, the triennial autumn imperial examinations began.
Today, the students of the Imperial Academy who were appealing for justice for the imperial envoy who was in charge of disaster relief thought that their parade had finally achieved significant results. They were overjoyed and in high spirits, and they talked loudly in various taverns, discussing history and politics.
Some believe that the fact that this matter proceeded so smoothly shows that the Emperor is still wise, able to understand the situation and deal with corrupt officials in a timely manner. Moreover, the fact that these troublemakers have not been punished these days suggests that the Crown Prince was only temporarily out of his mind and too greedy, but not completely insane—there is still hope.
However, others believe that the Crown Prince's faction will not stand idly by and watch Prince Ning'an grow stronger. This is just the calm before the storm. Just wait and see, who knows what other trouble might arise.
Regardless of anything else, what they care about most is this year's autumn imperial examination, whether their years of hard study will yield the expected results, and whether they can truly take up arms and stand on the officialdom they have always dreamed of, whether for power or for profit.
Besides the students of Taixue in Kyoto, students from all over the country, sharing the same belief, have also flocked to this ancient and splendid capital.
On the streets, scholars carrying their bags and bundles inquire about a certain inn; in teahouses and taverns, literati and scholars debate with each other, their aim being nothing more than to make a name for themselves before the exams, to make more connections, and even if they fail, to seize the opportunity to take flight and soar to the sky.
The wise noticed the undercurrents swirling within the city, while the foolish succumbed to the mire, becoming cannon fodder and quietly perishing in the dead of night, victims of the power struggle.
The room was silent, filled with the smoke of incense. Qin Sang wrote down the names of countless court officials on the white Xuan paper, their names clearly defined and densely packed.
It's immediately clear who the Crown Prince's people are, who are neutral, and who are the protégés left behind by Prime Minister Xie.
But it is clear that there are far more officials under the Crown Prince's command, most of whom are recent talents who have just entered the imperial examinations.
Qin Sang stared at the paper, the pen tip touching her nose, lost in thought.
These newly appointed officials are either idiots or have all been bribed by the Crown Prince.
As far as Qin Sang knew, scholars valued integrity and moral character. Even if a few could be bribed, most were still naive and ignorant when they first entered officialdom. How could the majority of them have leaned towards the Crown Prince in such a short period of time?
Unless… her heart skipped a beat. These newly appointed scholars had been groomed by the Crown Prince from the very beginning of their academic careers. In other words, the Crown Prince could influence the selection of talent for the imperial examinations.
Thinking of this, she immediately checked the officials who presided over the imperial examinations in previous years, only to find that the officials who presided over the examinations were actually appointed by the emperor every year, and they were all old scholars who were old and pedantic. Judging from their usual behavior and reputation over the years, they did not seem to be people who could be controlled by the Crown Prince's faction.
She couldn't figure it out for a moment, so she put down her pen, stretched, and Ying'er, who was dozing beside her, woke up immediately. She reached out to test the temperature of the tea on the table, poured it out, and then poured a new cup for her daughter.
A colorful-tailed myna bird, kept in a bamboo cage under the eaves, suddenly started chirping inexplicably: "Good health, peace and safety every year! Good health, peace and safety every year!"
Ever since it was brought here, whenever Qin Sang teases it, it babbles those two phrases. Perhaps seeing Qin Sang suddenly look up, and thinking she was coming over, the dutiful myna bird turned its little head and chirped eagerly.
Qin Sang chuckled, leaned on the desk to stand up, stretched her wrists to loosen her muscles, and said with amusement, "Are you hungry? I'm hungry too. I want to eat mung bean cake. Do you want some?"
Mynah bird: "May you enjoy good health and peace year after year..."
Lingding happened to come in carrying snacks and laughed when she heard this: "At first I thought it was smart, but it only knows these two phrases over and over again. I've been teaching it for days and it still can't learn the words 'auspicious and good fortune'. It turns out it's stupid too."
Qin Sang picked up some birdseed from the side and fed it, saying, "It's quite remarkable that such a stupid bird could be trained to say these two lines."
Lingding didn't reply, but placed the food plate on the small table on the chaise lounge by the window and said, "Miss, this is red date cake sent by someone from the Prince of Ning'an's residence. Would you like to try some?"
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