Chapter 85 Spring Hunt For him, she always had a love-hate relationship...
Yue Yining came with the Third Prince Wei Ye, and now she and Wei Yihua are still nominally under the Third Prince's command.
When Ye Miheng spoke to her, Yue Yining was also surprised: "Ye Miheng? What are you doing here?"
"Do you know this is a spring hunt? Have you ever handled a bow and arrow? You don't know how to hunt, do you?"
Ye Miheng glared at her, exasperated by her repeated questioning: "Who said I can't? Just because I can't doesn't mean I can't come and watch! You can't either!"
Seeing him gesticulating wildly, Yue Yining found it amusing and chuckled, "I wasn't going to participate anyway; I was just accompanying others to watch the hunt."
Ye Miheng snorted: "I did practice riding and archery a few times when I was young. Although I've become rusty, I still have the basics. I wasn't really interested in this spring hunt, but His Highness the Fourth Prince said that there might be a use for me, so he brought me along..."
"You came with the Fourth Prince's carriage?" Yue Yining's eyes lit up. "Then His Highness the Fourth Prince should have arrived by now, right?"
When the spring hunt began, Princess Wei Yihua and the Fourth Prince Wei Jing traveled together in the same carriage. Yue Yining had heard from Wei Yihua beforehand that it was at the request of her mother, Consort Li. Wei Yihua was worried that she would mind, but Yue Yining generously reassured her, telling her to go without worry and that she would ride in the Third Prince Wei Ye's carriage.
Ye Miheng: "They just arrived..."
"That's perfect! I'll go find Her Highness the Princess right away!"
"Hey..." Ye Miheng wanted to call her back, but Yue Yining had already run far away.
He stood there, scratched the back of his head, lowered his head, and looked down at the sachet at his waist.
He wanted to show it to her; this was the first time he had worn the sachet she had given him when he went out.
Ye Miheng held the sachet and rubbed it a few times. He seemed to recall something, and his mood improved, with a faint smile in his eyes.
Suddenly, a clear and melodious greeting rang in my ears: "Lord Ye, it's been a long time."
Ye Miheng paused and turned to look. The person who had come to his side had appeared at some point. His hair was tied up and held in place by a jade pendant, with a few strands of black hair falling at his temples. He was still in mourning and had come dressed only in white, the fabric without any embroidery or decoration, as clean and crisp as the first snow.
It was Xie Qingyu, the eldest son of the Xie family.
Ye Miheng raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled. Although they had investigated the Green Ghost case together before, they had each investigated their own cases, and he and Ye Miheng didn't have any particular relationship. Why would Ye Miheng suddenly call him over?
However, a show of politeness was still necessary, and Ye Miheng responded courteously, "This humble official greets Lord Xie."
“I spotted Lord Ye from afar and thought I’d come and say hello.” Xie Qingyu’s eyes were smiling as he casually glanced at his waist before his gaze slowly settled on a certain spot. He said softly, “…Lord Ye, this sachet is quite unique. Where did you find it? Is it some new stock from a shop in the capital?”
Ye Miheng had no suspicions. He picked up the sachet and smiled, unable to hide his joy: "This is a gift from a friend. She made it herself, not bought it."
Her fingers, hidden in her sleeve, clenched so tightly they turned white. Xie Qingyu's expression remained unchanged, and she smiled slightly, saying, "Ah, I see. That's such a pity."
Inside the carriage of the Fourth Prince's residence, camel wool carpets covered the sandalwood floor, soft to the touch, and cloisonné enamel plates held purple grape jelly, a tribute from the Western Regions. The entire wall was covered with a kesi tapestry depicting "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains," the gold threads moving perfectly with the sunlight, the light and shadow flowing like a babbling river.
Inside the car, the tea smoke rose slowly, and all was quiet.
Wei Yihua, dressed in crimson, sat opposite Wei Jing, who deliberately turned his head away and did not meet her gaze, and sighed silently in her heart.
Wei Yihua's feelings towards her brother were complex. She knew she wasn't Consort Li's biological son; Wei Jing was, yet she enjoyed Consort Li's favoritism. If it weren't for her, Wei Jing would have been the one Consort Li wholeheartedly nurtured; she had stolen the love and effort that originally belonged to Wei Jing. Meanwhile, Wei Jing was completely unaware of all this. He treated her like his own sister, loved and cherished her dearly, and always granted her every request.
This intensified Wei Yihua's sense of guilt.
But Wei Yihua also tried to help Wei Jing. She asked him to study and practice calligraphy with her, urged him to improve his knowledge, and sat with him in the front row during class. Wei Jing always readily agreed, then continued his usual lazy behavior, which made her resent his lack of ambition. She always felt that she was being overly compassionate and had too strong a moral compass; she felt that Wei Jing deserved to be inferior to her.
Because she could surpass him in everything, Wei Yihua harbored a hidden contempt for Wei Jing. Content with mediocrity, ignorant, and unwilling to listen to advice—that was how she saw Wei Jing. Therefore, as they grew up, she refused to call him "brother," always addressing him by his given name.
But every time this happens, Wei Jing will suddenly do something to move her. She will then be instantly overwhelmed with guilt and can't help but want to help him. This cycle repeats itself endlessly. For this person, she always feels a mix of love and hate, disdain and heartache, anger and tears.
He was her brother. Even if he was terrible to others, he was undeniably good to her.
For this reason, Wei Yihua always felt that she had no right to condemn Wei Jing.
However, before she died of illness in her previous life, she once thought that she had never truly understood Wei Jing.
She had once thought that although her fourth brother was arrogant and conceited, he was not malicious at heart. After all, he was her brother who had grown up with her since childhood, and Wei Yihua believed that she understood his nature and his true thoughts.
However, the scene of Wei Jing coming to see her before his rebellion in her previous life always kept appearing in her mind.
In that instant, she felt as if she didn't recognize the imperial brother who had been with her since childhood.
As time passed, whenever she looked back on those memories, she could always detect a hint of loneliness and determination in Wei Jing's usual smile.
Why did Wei Jing choose to rebel back then? Even after being reborn, Wei Yihua still doesn't know the reason.
"My mother said that you haven't visited her in the palace for a long time." Wei Yihua finally broke the silence. She looked at Wei Jing, who had suddenly frozen, and slowly said, "She said she misses you very much."
“…Okay.” Wei Jing replied awkwardly.
He seemed to have stopped sulking. Wei Yihua hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Wei Jing, Wei Ye, he..."
"Don't mention him to me." Wei Jing's tone suddenly turned cold. He turned and stared intently at Wei Yihua. "Did you come here just to talk to me about that guy?"
Seeing his strong resistance, Wei Yihua withdrew her words. She looked at her brother and pursed her lips, "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Yue Yining jogged over and happened to see the Fourth Prince's carriage stop. Just as she was about to approach, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and Wei Jing angrily got off the carriage and left.
Yue Yining: "........?"
She looked around and finally caught a glimpse of Wei Yihua still sitting in the same spot through the gap in the curtain. "Your Highness?"
Wei Yihua snapped out of her reverie and got off the carriage. Yue Yining noticed her absent-mindedness and guessed that she might have argued with Wei Jing again. She blinked and deliberately changed the subject: "Your Highness, the sun is too strong. Shall we wait in the tent?"
Wei Yihua nodded: "Okay."
On their way to the camp, Wei Yihua and Yue Yining encountered the emperor's entourage.
A dozen or so golden dragon flags shone in the sunlight, and the gilded cloud-patterned carriage canopy was covered with a soft curtain sewn from black fox fur. Bronze dragon heads held the curtain's golden hooks, and whenever the mountain wind swept by, the fox fur would ripple with blood-red hues, like the throat of a lurking beast trembling slightly.
Seated in the imperial carriage was a somber-faced man, none other than the reigning emperor, Wei Tianxuan. He was not wearing the nine-tasseled crown; a gold and jade crown held his hair back, pressing down a few strands of white hair. His brows were lowered, and his expression was listless.
Even when the procession was far away, they immediately stopped and bowed by the roadside until the procession was out of their sight.
Yue Yining stroked her chin: "It's supposed to be the annual spring hunting day, but His Majesty doesn't seem to be in much interest."
Wei Yihua: "Yes, I don't know why. My mother also told me that my father has rarely visited the inner palace recently and always sleeps alone."
In April, the grass grew tall and the birds sang, and the bright sunshine warmed every part of the body. The two walked towards the camp while talking.
Yue Yining said, "It's probably because of the sudden death of Prime Minister Xie."
Wei Yihua frowned, somewhat puzzled: "But I remember that Father has always been wary of powerful families. I thought that although Father wouldn't be happy about Prime Minister Xie's death, he wouldn't be too sad either. After all, the faster the people sitting in the powerful minister's position are replaced, the more beneficial it is for Father. There are many capable people in the court, and then we can just promote suitable people to take up the positions, right?"
Yue Yining shook her head: "Although Xie Zhi is a powerful minister, he is also a capable one. His Majesty is wary of him, but he will not take action against him for trivial matters. Keeping him around is more useful. Of course, as Your Highness said, His Majesty can promote a suitable person—but what if the person His Majesty originally intended to appoint is Xie Zhi?"
Wei Yihua paused, as if she sensed something, but before she could speak, Yue Yining said leisurely, "Speaking of this, there is something I was just about to tell Your Highness."
"I entrusted Lord Shen to reinvestigate the Wang family's downfall, and he has discovered some new clues. It can be confirmed that the Xie family played an important role in the Wang family's downfall, and Xie Zhi is the real mastermind behind the Wang family's downfall."
Wei Yihua looked at her without any surprise: "I know that. Shen Liude mentioned it to me a few days ago when he came to see me."
Yue Yining was slightly taken aback, then smiled wryly: "I had forgotten that Lord Shen is His Highness's close advisor." Since Shen Liude had done something for her, he would surely report it to Wei Yihua in detail.
A faint light flickered in Wei Yihua's eyes: "If you look at it this way, I think I understand what you mean. The downfall of the Wang family was orchestrated by Xie Zhi, with the aim of bringing down the Wang family. As for the motive, let's leave that aside for now. The Xie and Wang families have been allied for many years, and Wang Zhichang must have some dirt on Xie Zhi. No matter which side wants to put the other in a disadvantageous position, they can both find ways to retaliate. In this way, the two families can cooperate with each other in the long term with peace of mind. But what Wang Zhichang didn't expect was that Xie Zhi would surrender to the emperor."
Yue Yining: "Very good, but there's still one question. Why did His Majesty accept Xie Zhi's surrender?"
Once the train of thought is clear, the subsequent thinking becomes increasingly smooth and unimpeded. Wei Yihua slowly replied, "...I think that Father Emperor doesn't care whether the court remains absolutely incorruptible. He values balance, stability, and efficiency more."
"The Master once told us that the key to the stability of imperial power, besides the emperor's own abilities, lies in the army, the talent, and the people's hearts. My father valued talent, so he was willing to grant privileges and allow powerful ministers to emerge; he was also willing to reform, just to better recruit virtuous and capable people."
"The Wang and Xie families have prospered for a hundred years, but how much corruption and filth has been hidden within them? Has no one ever exposed or reported it? Does Father really know nothing about it? I don't think so. It's just that Father knows that once a large, deeply rooted tree is uprooted, this land will also suffer serious damage."
As Wei Yihua spoke, her expression changed slightly. She murmured, "...But that's all in the past. Father Emperor doesn't care about anything now. He's changed. No matter how high the price, he wants to cultivate a group of ministers who are only loyal to the imperial power."
"Xie Zhi seized upon the Emperor's change in mindset and offered to surrender to the Emperor on the condition that the Xie family become part of the royalist party—I suspect he must have given the Emperor a lot of dirt on himself in order to gain the Emperor's trust."
Yue Yining nodded in agreement: "That's right."
“Previously, the court was largely divided into two factions: those of powerful families and those of humble origins, with the purist faction struggling to survive. Pure royalists were rare, which is related to the current emperor's governing style and philosophy. The previous social stability and political clarity also indicate that His Majesty was consistent in this regard, achieving unity of knowledge and action. This court structure perfectly suited his governing needs.” Yue Yining looked up at Wei Yihua. “So why did he suddenly become so eager to cultivate royalists?”
Wei Yihua stared at her blankly.
The answer is obvious.
Wei Yihua opened her mouth, and finally said, "...Because the Crown Prince is dead."
This is why the emperor changed his mind. He understood better than anyone how outstanding the original crown prince was, how much effort he had put into nurturing him, and how mediocre the remaining princes were.
He was nearing the end of his life and had no time to cultivate a perfect successor. If left unchecked, his successor would be left with a court firmly established by powerful ministers. Not every emperor could maintain such a balance as he had, and none of the remaining princes possessed this ability. If the balance were to be carelessly broken, it would be irreversible.
He must at least do his best to prepare a group of loyal ministers who can serve the new crown prince.
The Dongxi Dynasty must not be allowed to end in the hands of the next generation.
After figuring this out, Wei Yihua felt a mix of emotions. She gave a self-deprecating laugh: "It seems that Father really... has never considered me."
Yue Yining gently took her hand, and their hands clasped together on their knees. Wei Yihua looked up at her, her eyes glistening with tears, seemingly filled with sorrow, yet also with a sense of resentment.
Yue Yi looked back at her calmly and firmly: "That's because he's narrow-minded."
"If he hasn't considered it, then let him see you, make him see you, make him have no choice but to see you. That way, he will truly consider it for once."
Wei Yihua slowly returned the grip, feeling an immense warmth flowing from her palm into her body.
“…Of course.” Wei Yihua slowly exhaled, smiled, and her eyes regained their bright light. “I will make Father understand, I will make him understand that I am the most suitable candidate for Crown Prince.”
Yue Yining felt very gratified as she watched her regain her spirits.
The current situation clearly shows that Xie Zhi's death was unexpected by the emperor. It's uncertain how much of the deal the emperor made with the Xie family still holds true, and the emperor's pent-up resentment must have put him in a bad mood.
If she were the emperor, and her original plan had fallen through, what should she do next?
Yue Yining lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking again: "Your Highness could pay more attention to the officials that His Majesty has been focusing on recently. Especially the young ones, those who have just been promoted, or the new officials who have been transferred from the local areas to the central government."
Wei Yihua didn't ask why again; she always trusted Yue Yining unconditionally: "Okay."
The two chatted idly in the tent for a while longer. At 3:45 AM, the hunt was to begin. Seeing that the time was approaching, Yue Yining saw Wei Ye and Wei Yihua off. When they arrived near the altar in the hunting grounds, the morning drum had already begun to sound in a deep, low tone.
Yue Yining spotted two familiar figures in the distance. The one on the left had long, slanted eyebrows that swept into his temples, and his sapphire blue riding outfit gave him a dashing and heroic air. The one on the right had a gentle appearance with good looks and a kind heart, and he was unusually dressed in a simple white outfit, which gave him a more refined and sharp look than usual.
It was Ye Miheng and Xie Qingyu. The two of them were leading their respective horses side by side, chatting and laughing.
Yue Yining paused, somewhat surprised.
Weren't the two of them strangers? How come they're together now?
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Author's Note: Ye Miheng: He grinned brightly, oblivious to the approaching darkness.
Xie Qingyu: (^_^) (Loading ammunition...)
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