Chapter 120 (Chapter 120) The First Prince Remains Silent
It is said that Shen Shuzhi's memorial was submitted in May or June, but it did not reach Emperor Hongren's desk until July.
...This is definitely not because of the time lost on the road. Yulin Prefecture is still anxiously waiting to see how to deal with the temporarily detained officials. Shen Shuzhi knows very well that the new emperor is eyeing the throne and is looking forward to this opportunity. He will only use his speed to the fullest.
In June, the memorial was delivered to the capital, and then it was held up for a while by the Six Ministries.
This is somewhat related to Shen Shuzhi's teacher—
The Minister of Rites, who had been ill for many days, had to step back and take on the responsibility after Shen Shuzhi severed ties with the Third Prince's faction. The master and apprentice hadn't even had a heart-to-heart talk recently; Shen Shuzhi had quickly slipped out of the capital and now had caused such a huge commotion.
The Minister of Rites was filled with mixed emotions, and after seeing the memorial, he temporarily suppressed it. This wasn't because he wielded enough power to act on behalf of Emperor Hongren, but rather because he had ordered someone to tamper with it:
This memorial was placed in the pile of unimportant memorials that Emperor Hongren dealt with last, buried at the very bottom.
In this way, Emperor Hongren could only check at the earliest after ten days, and if something distracted him, it was possible that he would discover it more than a month later.
Then the Minister of Rites made a crucial decision: "Summon Zong'er and have him arrange for people..."
He whispered something in the ear of the young man who bore a resemblance to him, and only after his son nodded in understanding did the Minister of Rites' still sickly face regain a healthy flush. He then coughed twice.
"In the memorial your senior brother Chen submitted, there are several names related to the First Prince. Go and deal with them properly. We can tear a piece of the First Prince's flesh from him... From now on, you will have to shoulder all the heavy responsibilities."
"Ahem... To outsiders, you and your senior brother must pretend to have severed ties. However, your senior brother and I will not truly sever all ties; we will always retain some affection." The Minister of Rites sighed and said, "He was confused for a moment, Tong'er. Don't resent him. You can distinguish between helping others and acting on impulse. Do you understand the proper measure?"
"Father, please take good care of yourself and don't worry about me." The young man said worriedly, nodding vigorously. "I know that our future depends on His Highness the Third Prince. When my senior brother comes back, I will have a good talk with him."
The Minister of Rites nodded with satisfaction, then wearily closed his eyes slightly: "Go out."
His body is now like a withered tree. He only has enough energy to barely manage to handle important matters in the court. He has to conserve his energy at other times.
Only after the young man's figure disappeared through the door did the Minister of Rites reopen his eyes, his expression complex: "..."
His words to his son were only half true, because he had some suspicions about Zhi'er's behavior but wasn't sure about everything, so he tacitly remained silent for the time being.
...If something really happens in the future, Zhi'er will always be able to get out of trouble, which is good.
Moreover, after this incident, regardless of whether it's true or not, Zhi'er will likely have to sever ties with the Third Prince's faction. Let's use this last push to get him to lend a hand to the Third Prince one last time.
At least for them, the family was someone they could never and never wanted to get out of.
...
Outside this door.
Yu Song stepped across the threshold with a heavy heart and took a deep breath.
It would be a lie to say I don't feel resentment.
If Senior Brother Shen hadn't unexpectedly distanced himself from the Third Prince in front of those people from Hedong, Father wouldn't have had to drag his ailing body out to force himself to stay in the court. Yu Zong knew that he needed to grow up as quickly as possible, and only when he could reliably take over his father's power in the court could his father finally relax and focus on recuperating.
He can't throw a tantrum.
Senior Brother Shen is his help, and also the Third Prince's help; he can't just escape if he wants to.
This incident… even if it arouses His Majesty's suspicion, the First Prince will suffer crippling damage. He hasn't even recovered from the losses he suffered last time; with these two blows combined, how can he possibly remain an enemy of the Third Prince?
This was an irresistible temptation for Yu Zong and his faction; it was the perfect opportunity!
Even so, thinking of his father's earnest teachings and affection for Senior Brother Shen since childhood, Yu Zong still muttered angrily under his breath, "Ungrateful!"
...
Two or three days passed, and rumors began to circulate in the palace.
After Yu Zong meticulously orchestrated the events, the eldest prince was caught off guard while Emperor Hongren was examining his two older sons, and was severely reprimanded. In contrast, the third prince answered flawlessly, neither servile nor arrogant, earning a smile in return.
After dismissing his two sons, Emperor Hongren pondered for a while and finally tapped the table: "Fuman, go and investigate."
"Yes." Eunuch Fuman replied respectfully, his smile deepening as he found it quite amusing.
Before long, the pale-faced, plump eunuch quietly returned and whispered a lot: "The fifth-rank Zhenfu Lord Zhao, the Marquis of Beiming, the Imperial Observatory... the Military Command... all have unusual movements."
"Outrageous!" Emperor Hongren roared. "Are they planning a rebellion?!"
This list of names consists entirely of military merits or officials serving in the military or in the field.
Most importantly, almost all of these people had some minor connection with the eldest prince's study companions, so Emperor Hongren did not think it was suspicious.
"This servant has already handed it over to the Imperial Guards to investigate." Eunuch Fu Man wisely avoided getting involved in such matters. He mentioned the Imperial Guards, but he knew that only His Majesty's trusted troops could handle this matter.
Emperor Hongren was in a terrible mood. From that day on, he looked at the eldest prince with disdain, which made the eldest prince very anxious. The smile that was always on his face became much more forced, and he was having a very difficult time.
The Third Prince was simply overjoyed.
He was a man of both literary and martial talents from a young age, and was highly praised by his father, the Emperor, when he was in the Imperial Study. He was the most outstanding one. But because he was born two years late and entered the court two years late, he suddenly became passive in every way. He was constantly overshadowed by the senior officials in various traps and was embarrassed in front of all the officials.
From then on, the Third Prince hated his eldest brother to the core, and no longer had any brotherly affection that he thought he could forgive. If he could, he would have been furious with his eldest brother every time. If it weren't for his mother keeping him in check every day, the Third Prince felt that he would have defeated his eldest brother long ago.
Unfortunately, he also understood that his mother was more experienced and cunning than him. If he were to defeat the eldest prince too early, the sixth prince might emerge and reap the benefits. They had to defeat that legitimate prince first.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and today is the day we are today.
Another golden opportunity to target the eldest prince has presented itself! This time, Mother Consort didn't say anything, and the Third Prince doesn't need to lift a finger. He just needs to perform well in front of Father Emperor, and that hateful eldest prince might fall from grace... Truly, this is brilliant!
Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.
As those officials were successively imprisoned and purged, the eldest prince could no longer bear it.
The young man paced anxiously in the Crown Prince's quarters, like a trapped beast, his face clouded with dread, looking terrifying: "...Lord Zhao has also been imprisoned. Has Father lost faith in me?!"
The Crown Princess sat quietly to the side, clutching her handkerchief tightly, not daring to utter a single word.
Her family's influence had also been significantly diminished by the Emperor's swift and decisive actions, leaving them with few options.
The eldest prince didn't even look at his wife, muttering angrily, "Wasn't it the same last time...? Last time, Father Emperor even favored me!"
He is the eldest prince!!
This incident happened too quickly.
One day, he suddenly received an urgent report from his servant that Lord Shen, who was on the side of the Third Prince, had obtained a deadly piece of information. He had recorded a list of the crimes committed by some officials and nobles related to him, imprisoned a group of people on the spot, and then submitted a memorial to the emperor to settle accounts.
Their people have temporarily suppressed this matter, but it can only be delayed for a few days at most; a decision must be made immediately.
The eldest prince looked into it... and found that while the evidence was conclusive, much of the evidence was fabricated and slanderous.
He wasn't surprised at all. Which official these days isn't corrupt? Which one has a clean record? The only difference is whether they can cover it up and whether the emperor is willing to deal with this mess.
Especially since this matter was reported by someone from the Third Prince's side, would Father really believe it? Shen Shuzhi said he had severed ties with the Third Prince, but had he really done so?
The eldest prince remained calm and instructed his subordinates to handle the situation. As long as the crucial memorial was quietly concealed and the whole affair wasn't brought to the court, he could simply cry in private and let it pass with everyone equally punished. What did his third brother have besides a good maternal family and a good mother? The eldest prince had always looked down on this younger brother.
But... rumors were spreading in the court, growing increasingly intense. His father, unusually, also avoided meeting him, giving him no chance whatsoever.
Something seemed amiss. The eldest prince had been restless for several days, discussing the matter with the Qingke official for a long time without finding a solution. He had done everything he could and should have done; where had things gone wrong?
In the dark, silent court, it seemed as if an unseen enemy lurked, baring its fangs at him.
Subsequent developments confirmed the Crown Prince's ominous premonition.
…The Emperor's exceptionally stern and astute reaction, coupled with his merciless and ruthless crackdown, resulted in the imprisonment of one guilty official after another from the First Prince's faction. It was clear he was furious and determined to make this matter serious, showing no concern whatsoever about whether his third brother would gain absolute power after the First Prince's downfall.
The eldest prince was filled with unprecedented fear and anger.
Beneath that consistently gentle and refined exterior lay a genuine sense of panic and vulnerability.
Was he suddenly abandoned by his father?
Why exactly?
The eldest prince sat there for a long time, unwilling to accept the situation, unable to understand it no matter what.
At the residence of Grand Secretary Mu.
Hearing the sound of horses' hooves echoing through the streets for days, Mu Jie instructed his steward to keep the doors and windows tightly shut.
Each hoofbeat led to the execution of a family of officials, causing the entire Mu family to tremble with fear. They even lowered their voices, realizing that something extraordinary had happened outside.
Mu Jie locked himself in his study every day, writing and enjoying the tranquility of these past few days. There was no trace of panic on his aged face, only the calm and composure of someone who had weathered many storms and seen through the ways of the world.
"The first one will have to be eliminated for now." Grand Scholar Mu understood, but his expression remained somewhat indifferent.
If the Third Prince's men intercepted Shen Shuzhi's memorial, forged it, and sent the message to the First Prince's men, trying to throw them into disarray and make them do unnecessary things, and the First Prince remained calm and did not interfere much, Emperor Hongren was still furious and became suspicious and wary of the young and strong First Prince.
Then the undercurrent that was stirring things up must be—
These officials, whose actions differed from their previous lives, were people who had been given a second life.
"How terrifying, hehe..." Even Grand Scholar Mu couldn't help but sigh.
Although this group of people were all loyal to the future new emperor, loyal to that young monarch, and were colleagues of Grand Secretary Mu rather than enemies, he still sensed a chill from this incident.
Think about it.
The entire court of civil and military officials, regardless of known conflicts of interest, official rank, seniority, or whether they were officials from the capital or the provinces, had no connections or suspicions whatsoever... any one of them could be a hidden member of the Second Prince's faction, ready to emerge at any moment to take a bite out of him, and tacitly assist each other.
While the eldest and third princes were only concerned with vying for the emperor's favor and fighting fiercely against each other, neglecting the suffering of the people, these officials secretly exerted their influence and fanned the flames. Their subtle manipulations, even in seemingly insignificant positions, led to the bitter consequence of Emperor Hongren's ruthless attempt to clip the eldest prince's wings.
These reborn officials were merely testing the waters, exerting only a slight effort, and adding fuel to the fire in the actions of the officials from the First Prince's faction.
Countless irrefutable pieces of evidence, when piled up, become the truth.
Although the reborn Mu Jie's heart has already leaned towards the future new emperor, he still observes the other princes and never gives up for a moment.
What did he see now?
Grand Scholar Mu wore a cold expression on his wrinkled face, staring emotionlessly at the character "民" (people) he had written, before crumpling the paper.
He had already anticipated the emperor's next reaction.
...At least the current emperor was trained by him.
Although he is very sensitive and selfish, he also has some concern for ordinary people.
He observed that the princes' first reaction was to conceal the truth and fight for power, showing no concern for the suffering people of Yulin Prefecture, whose river embankments had been damaged for many years, causing countless people to suffer.
...The eldest prince is not going to get away with this.
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Author's Note: The officials that Grand Scholar Mu dislikes include those who have been reborn, because they are also helping the future new emperor to seize power and profit, and are taking this opportunity to temporarily overthrow the eldest prince as a surprise when the new emperor returns to the capital.
However, Grand Scholar Mu was still pleased with the new emperor, because he knew that the people of Yulin Prefecture would be well taken care of by the new emperor.
(The eldest prince won't be completely eliminated so easily; he's just temporarily out of the picture. In reality, unless a prince commits a serious crime, he won't lose his right to the throne; at most, it's just a matter of who is less favored by the emperor.)
(I didn't finish writing the second update today, sob sob, I'll continue tomorrow!)
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