Chapter 177 The Immense Imperial Favor...
At that time, Qi Chengming had just changed into a brand new prince's court robe and entered the palace to meet Emperor Hongren to express his gratitude.
Several years have passed, and I wonder what has become of this old emperor.
On the way, the palace maid who had led Qi Chengming inside casually brought up the matter of the morning court session. Several people stepped forward to recount Prince Rui's behavior along the way, and then the court officials joined in with impeachment indignation. However, Emperor Hongren did not express his opinion, calmly suppressing the matter and adjourning the court session.
"Your Highness should make plans sooner rather than later," the palace servant said in a low voice, hands hanging down, very politely.
This is a clear gesture of goodwill.
"Thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law." Qi Chengming glanced at Xiao Dezi behind him.
Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi, who accompanied him into the palace, panicked for a moment because they hadn't prepared any rewards on them. A few moments later, Xiao Dezi calmed down and quietly handed over the waist ornament he had prepared for Qi Chengming, concealed by his sleeve.
That waist ornament wasn't Qi Chengming's favorite item; it was just a jade pendant he had temporarily found because he was entering the palace today.
Even so, it is still a top-quality, lustrous jade.
The journey continued in silence, with Qi Chengming following behind, silently scrutinizing the young eunuch.
When they arrived, the other party claimed to be a eunuch serving in the imperial court, but judging from his robes, his rank was not as high as that of Eunuch Qian, who had gone to Liuzhou. There were only a handful of eunuchs with real influence in the imperial court, and Cui had subtly indicated that an unimportant eunuch like Eunuch Qian would not even bother to curry favor with Qi Chengming.
Instead, other eunuchs showed their favor... Qi Chengming gladly accepted.
This was an unexpected delight.
Upon arriving at the destination, someone went in to announce his arrival. Qi Chengming was led to a side hall, but before he could even sit down, he was already up again.
That's fast enough. Is the old emperor really looking forward to his return? And is he unwilling to hide it...?
Qi Chengming lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then pursed his lips, adopting a tense yet somewhat flustered composure. He entered and performed a deep bow: "I kowtow to Father Emperor, wishing you good health..."
He lay prostrate on the ground, trembling slightly with excitement, unable to speak coherently for a moment, his words unfinished.
Qi Chengming knew his acting skills were still at a normal level, and two years in Liuzhou wouldn't hone them to the point of becoming a superhuman. So he could only try to make his emotions as realistic as possible, adding some method acting techniques and misdirection.
For example, right now...
Qi Chengming had no feelings for an old man who had transmigrated and then abandoned his son to do nothing. He couldn't force out any tears, and instead, he became stiff and awkward, barely able to exchange a few words of pleasantries. All that remained was tension and excitement.
Let's leave some unsaid thoughts; whatever it is... is up to Emperor Hongren to fill in the blanks with his own imagination.
As a prince who was neglected since childhood, it's normal for him to feel helpless and reserved after being sent to his fiefdom and then recalled.
"Hahaha, get up, get up!"
A cheerful voice accompanied a strong hand that grabbed Qi Chengming's shoulder and squeezed him tightly, helping him up from the ground.
Qi Chengming was flattered to see that Emperor Hongren personally went around the imperial desk, helped him up, and the father and son held hands and moved to a chair to the side.
Zhao Fuman, who had brought the chair in advance, had already retreated into the shadows with a smile and his hands at his sides.
"..." Only now could Qi Chengming slightly lift his eyelids and see the emperor's face clearly with the corner of his eye.
He was taken aback.
The last time Qi Chengming saw Emperor Hongren was on the day he traveled through time. As he left, he quickly glanced at Emperor Hongren's appearance. At that time, he looked like a vigorous and dignified emperor, in the prime of his life.
In just a few short years, Emperor Hongren aged rapidly.
This isn't about appearance. Before his transmigration, Emperor Hongren would have been considered middle-aged at most, still in the prime of his life. However, Emperor Hongren's vitality was declining rapidly, and he already showed signs of old age, though his imposing aura only grew stronger.
Qi Chengming pondered for a moment and understood somewhat.
Despite Emperor Hongren's good reputation and seemingly respectable benevolent rule, what was the reality? Based on Qi Chengming's observations over the past few years since his transmigration, this vast country was plagued by natural disasters, war, soil erosion, and widespread displacement. Floods, typhoons, locust plagues, and earthquakes were commonplace.
These things would have been commonplace before I traveled through time, but dealing with them in a backward dynasty like this doubled the difficulty. The affairs of the previous dynasty were probably countless, incredibly complex and terrifying, not to mention the various troubles of the harem.
Emperor Hongren did have a heart for his people; he wasn't the kind of emperor who only indulged in pleasure. This was the result of his good governance.
...Being an emperor is a position that requires a great deal of energy.
Thinking of this, Qi Chengming's face showed a hint of sincere admiration.
"..." Emperor Hongren sat facing his son, his eyes meeting that face, and for a moment he was lost in nostalgia, remaining silent for a long time.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Back then, when your mother first entered the palace, she was just as timid and helpless. We used to sit together, drinking tea and composing poems. Your mother was also extremely skilled at painting. Now, looking back... how time flies!"
Qi Chengming inwardly grumbled.
The embroidered image of her mother on the screen shows her as a bright and lively young girl. Was she really like this in front of the emperor?
He was too lazy to even complain; given Consort Hua's rank, she wasn't even worthy of being addressed as "Mother Consort."
The emperor's various behaviors made him seem like a complete idiot, but how come he always seemed to have deep feelings of nostalgia whenever he looked at that face?
As Qi Chengming was pondering this, Emperor Hongren, playing the role of a benevolent imperial father, chatted casually and kindly mentioned this point to him: "Actually, back then, your father originally planned to promote her to the rank of concubine after you were born, but who knew that things would turn out so unexpectedly..."
Qi Chengming listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
Unexpectedly, with the defeat of the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion and the death of Consort Hua, the original owner was burdened with ominous signs, so the consort's position naturally came to nothing, right?
"It's been so many years late, it's all my fault! Today I will make up for this belated grace." Emperor Hongren said sincerely, patting his son's hand.
"Issue the imperial decree: Consort Hua is beautiful and intelligent, and has made meritorious contributions in raising her son. She is hereby posthumously granted the title of Noble Consort Hua Chun. The old Earl of Weiyong is advanced in years, so his title will not be reduced and will be passed on to his grandson. The Earl of Weiyong's wife is of loyal character and is hereby granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady."
Even though Qi Chengming was mentally prepared, knowing that there was a 50% chance he would be challenged or a 50% chance he would be coaxed into building a relationship when he entered the palace today, he was still almost gasped in shock when he actually heard the imperial decree.
The young prince was so grateful that he immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Father Emperor!! If Mother could know this in the afterlife, she would be very happy too."
It wasn't for rank or status, but for family.
Putting everything else aside, my maternal grandfather can probably breathe a sigh of relief now.
Over the years, Old Marquis Weiyong claimed to have retired due to illness to recuperate and focus on raising his young grandson, completely ignoring military affairs. However, in the last two years, he's wanted to completely dismantle this affair, demoting Wang Shuo, who is about to come of age, from inheriting the title by two ranks, and for the entire family to keep a low profile. This would allow his eldest grandson, Shou'er, who is working in the military incognito, to shine.
His memorial was suppressed and no reply was given. It is likely that the emperor had some complicated feelings and was unwilling to let the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion decline.
Qi Chengming had never lost contact with his maternal grandparents' family. On his way back to Beijing, he exchanged several letters, worried about his younger cousin Wang Shuo's future.
If the Emperor were to be a bit stingy, it's possible he could keep suppressing the granting of the title. Wang Shuo also couldn't develop his career in the military on his own, otherwise things would look very bad, as if the Emperor were heartless and ungrateful.
Unexpectedly, the matter has now been resolved...
Emperor Hongren said earnestly, "I know the Wang family is loyal and brave. Chengming, let your cousin practice martial arts well. I look forward to him leading troops into battle like his father and brothers! The army has been short of men in recent years..."
"Yes," Qi Chengming could only solemnly reply.
Emperor Hongren smiled kindly: "You just got back, and everything is in a mess. Go and get busy. Zhao Fuman, take the things I picked out."
The chief eunuch had already prepared several rewards, which were carried by other junior eunuchs as they accompanied Prince Rui out of the palace. They paraded through the streets, attracting the attention of countless people.
Emperor Hongren watched the young man's figure disappear into the distance, sighed sadly, and slowly closed his eyes.
...The goal of elevating people has been achieved.
But he also genuinely misses the old days from time to time.
Perhaps what he misses is not simply the beautiful girl he once liked... but that period of time.
At that time, Emperor Hongren was young and vigorous, full of vigor and ambition. He was a wise emperor who had just ascended the throne, and he had an invincible and valiant army to defend him against enemies thousands of miles away. Consort Hua was lively yet gentle, knowledgeable and polite, and they got along well. She was also about to give birth to one of his few children at the time...
Everything was so beautiful.
But then...
After the defeat of the Weiyong Army, everything took a sharp turn for the worse.
Emperor Hongren's face darkened, unwilling to recall the past any further.
Call it misplaced anger, call it disappointment, he's the emperor, so naturally others should fawn over him and do everything in their power to please him. Now that this second prince with the familiar face has carved out a new path for himself and the royal family, it's time for the second prince to show off his power.
Emperor Hongren's heart was heavy, and he was filled with mixed emotions.
...
When Qi Chengming left the palace, he let out a long sigh of relief, looking as exhausted as if he were about to collapse.
His brief interaction with the emperor had already consumed most of his energy.
Only after boarding the carriage back to the manor and the wheels began to turn, and after everyone else had left, did Xiao Dezi dare to breathe a sigh of relief: "Your Highness, did the Emperor reprimand you today?"
This is nonsense.
He also saw the pile of rewards stacked on the carriage, but Xiao Dezi found it strange. The palace servant had clearly said that many people impeached the displaced people during the morning court session. How was this resolved?
Xiao Dezi hurriedly recalled: They had indeed fallen into traps along the way, and those refugees who followed closely behind might have been manipulated by someone with ulterior motives. However, they had been soft-hearted throughout the journey, and their various forms of assistance were genuine. To insist that they had won people's hearts, Xiao Dezi thought for a moment and realized that if he were in their shoes, he wouldn't even be able to utter a few useful words of protest.
"Father didn't mention that matter at all." Qi Chengming saw it clearly, a smile playing on his lips. "He's trying to curry favor with me now. It's all thanks to the ministers in court who made a mess of things by offering their advice..."
I heard from the palace servants that first someone impeached someone, and then the officials were all indignant. This must be because someone was up to no good behind the scenes and wanted to stir up trouble.
But Qi Chengming, who had read many novels about succession struggles, also understood one thing—
The more they submit joint remonstrances, the less likely Emperor Hongren will become wary of Qi Chengming.
This was a perfectly timed attack on Qi Chengming's treacherous trap: to win over the hearts and minds of the refugees and build his own army—a truly heinous crime. Yet, it was thwarted without any real danger, without him even needing to exert any effort...
"Fortunately, I also submitted a memorial." Qi Chengming realized that his luck was one thing, but submitting the memorial in a timely and cautious manner was the other half of the winning factor.
He collapsed onto the carriage, letting out a long sigh, his only thought being to get back quickly and have a good meal.
"Xiao Chengzi, drive faster, let's go home!"
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Author's note: Morning court session.
The ministers (upon seeing the impeachment, sighed knowingly): ...So, it's our turn to shine again!
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