Chapter 228 The Taiyuan Wang Clan's Reckless Acts and...
The wedding day of the legitimate princess was set for the seventh day of the sixth lunar month, which was already rushed. This forced the Ministry of Works to work overtime to renovate the princess's residence in the past few months. Now it is the beginning of June, and the residence has barely been renovated to the point that it is ready for occupancy, just barely making it in time for the wedding.
The people sent by the Empress to inspect the items were very dissatisfied, and their faces grew increasingly ashen as they looked at them.
Putting aside the fact that this mansion was converted from the residence of a disgraced official, just considering the craftsmanship of the Ministry of Works, the exterior appears to be perfectly in line with the regulations, without any transgression, but the interior structure is extremely crude!
The eaves were covered with only a thin layer of glazed tiles, which served no purpose other than to look nice, and there was a possibility that they would leak in the future. There wasn't even a screen wall in front of the main hall, and the glaring sunlight shone directly into the main room, making it likely to be both hot and damp. The garden's stream was simply a pile of stones, and the whole place was bare, with not only no rare plants but also very few common flowers and grasses.
They dared to let their princess stay in such a shabby house?!
The head eunuch in charge of the inspection was furious and wanted to argue with them, but the head palace maid managed to stop him.
"Don't forget what Her Majesty said before she came out." The Grand Palace Goddess's expression was both sorrowful and warning, and she pressed down hard on his shoulder with her hand.
The head eunuch: "…………"
The two fell silent and stopped talking.
Life has been difficult in their palace lately, and the Empress has been keeping a very low profile, forbidding them from making a fuss about anything. She especially emphasized to them, who came to inspect the palace, that if there was anything amiss with the Princess's residence, they should not make a fuss except in cases where it was absolutely necessary to conceal it. She gave them two heavy purses and a seal of the private treasury, allowing them to secretly help them make the necessary additions.
"Even if we go to argue, we won't get anything good out of it." The head palace maid glanced at the Ministry of Works official waiting in the distance. The official didn't show any arrogance. He stood obediently, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He looked somewhat weak and guilty, obviously knowing that he hadn't done things properly, but he was helpless.
"...The repair schedule was tight, it's already quite good that they were able to repair the structure."
There's no way to argue about this anymore.
If things are going to get out of hand, then it's His Majesty's fault for setting the time so rushed.
That's definitely not the situation the Empress wanted to see. So, they have to swallow this loss themselves, no matter what.
Fortunately, there were still a few days until the wedding, so they had room to salvage the situation. They should first make the princess's residence look even more splendid. Those who would come to pay their respects were all members of the imperial family, and each of them was cunning and calculating. At the very least, they couldn't let them look down on the princess.
In the future... we'll gradually adjust those uncomfortable dark places we live in.
The two exchanged a glance and had no further objections.
After the princess's residence was inspected, taking advantage of the commotion caused by the palace's massive mobilization of its treasury to send out the princess's dowry, the head eunuch and the head palace maid secretly transported a batch of flowers, plants, and valuables not on the list to the princess's residence. They then used the princess's private treasury to furnish and prepare the place. After finishing all this, they still had to deliver subsidies to the Wang family.
The Wang family were merely minor officials in the lower ranks of government. Forget about the dowry expected of a son-in-law; if it weren't for His Majesty's bestowal, he wouldn't have been able to afford even a magnificent wedding dress or a respectable wedding carriage. The gold, silver, jewels, brocades, and silks bestowed by His Majesty when granting the marriage were, in effect, tacitly accepted as part of the dowry.
But... it's still too shabby.
How could the Empress accept this? She could only secretly replenish the Wang family's funds with her private treasury and have them display it as betrothal gifts.
After a few busy days of preparation, the wedding day finally arrived.
Qi Chengming had received the invitation from Prince Ning well in advance, and when they met, they inevitably put on a show together. The Seventh Prince was still by Prince Ning's side, and this time he had learned his lesson and didn't seem to have any ulterior motives, although his expression wasn't very good.
He probably knew that even if the emperor no longer favored the princess, as long as Prince Ning was still alive, he had better not cause trouble on the princess's wedding day.
So on the seventh day of the sixth lunar month, as evening approached, Xiao Dezi looked at the sky and went into the study to remind Qi Chengming: "Your Highness, it's time to set off."
"No rush, have someone prepare the carriages first." Qi Chengming waved his hand, his expression serious. He was discussing a crucial point, and a slight delay wouldn't cause any problems. On the surface, their relationship was distant; he only needed to be at the princess's residence for the wedding banquet around the same time.
Xiao Dezi looked up, somewhat surprised.
The person chatting so enthusiastically with His Highness in the study was none other than the young Earl Weiyong, His Highness's cousin and study companion. Didn't he and the other study companions of the Crown Prince have duties to perform? They haven't shown their faces in ages.
These were not things Xiao Dezi should think about in detail, so he nodded and went out to close the door again.
Wang Shuo continued in a deep voice, continuing what he had just said before being interrupted: "...Our capital is in the Central Plains. Taiyuan is not far from here, but it's not exactly close either. It's been two months now. When Zhang Jinshi went to take up his post, he brought news that word of that matter had already reached us. I checked, and indeed quite a few people in the capital have noticed it. Everything... is ready."
Qi Chengming let out a silent sigh and nodded: "The original plan was to make his move after the imperial examination, so that the emperor could have one last day of enjoyment."
“If he still doesn’t realize it in a couple of days, then you should give him a push.” Qi Chengming’s expression was meaningful.
Zhang Ji's performance only qualified him for a minor official post outside the capital. Qi Chengming had recently taken the opportunity to meet with him, and Zhang Ji was thus conveniently arranged to become the magistrate of Taiyuan. Serving His Highness and his friend—this goes without saying.
But Zhang Ji had learned his lesson and remained shrewd. He didn't reveal to the outside world that he was working for the powerful Crown Prince. So he was still a dispensable illegitimate son in the Zhang family. This time, he became the magistrate of a county in another region, and the Zhang family ignored him, as if he didn't exist.
"Understood, cousin." Wang Shuo narrowed his eyes, eager to make a move.
"As for the Wang family..." Qi Chengming fell silent, his thoughts racing, before finally managing a meaningless smile. "They chose this themselves."
“Don’t let our shared surname fool you, cousin—now I know what a prestigious family is.” Wang Shuo shrugged and gave a subtle laugh.
Since ancient times, "Wang" has been a common surname. The person Qi Chengming was referring to was a member of a prominent family—a branch of the Taiyuan Wang clan—who had recognized his talent early on and had begun to befriend him before Qi Chengming was exiled to Liuzhou. He was a son of an official and a classmate and friend of Prefect Mu.
Since Qi Chengming returned to the capital and became a favorite of the Emperor, the people from the main branch of the Wang family in Taiyuan who sought to befriend him were now mostly members of the main lineage. However, at this time, Qi Chengming maintained a low profile in his interactions with them, keeping their relationship neither too close nor too distant. They also had a tacit understanding, providing financial assistance from time to time but never disturbing him otherwise.
When Qi Chengming, having reached his limit of patience, gave the order to launch a countermeasure after the imperial examinations and deliver a severe slap to Emperor Hongren, the first thing he attracted by the rumor of his fishing trip was actually the Taiyuan Wang clan, who supported him.
...Qi Chengming felt something was wrong at the time, because this position of being a sucker was just bait, a cannon fodder to step in front of him and attract the attention and firepower of Emperor Hongren. It was a noble family that would be the first to be destroyed sooner or later.
With so many powerful families he disliked, Qi Chengming naturally didn't want the Wang family, the only one who had ever been on good terms with him, to fall into his trap—that was only natural. However, the "secret to victory in Liuzhou through ticketing" was a sweet and tempting pie for everyone except Qi Chengming, including Emperor Hongren. It was a real benefit for them, something they would fight tooth and nail to get their hands on.
Who would think this thing is harmful?
The centuries-old differences in thinking and knowledge are unsolvable. Even if Qi Chengming contacts them and explains this matter thoroughly, he will definitely not be well-received. Moreover, whether in the hands of the current emperor, in his own hands in the future, or in the eyes of other ascending princes, they will only be a thorn in his side. The Wang family of Taiyuan could not resist such temptation and wanted a share of the spoils.
Yes, from their perspective, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
His Highness the Crown Prince is someone they have supported since they were humble beginnings. Now that His Highness the Crown Prince is determined to release a highly profitable formula, why should other powerful families get it instead of letting them, the closest of friends, make money from it?
Even if this thing is obviously going to be a huge pitfall in the future, so what?
The aristocratic families possessed a confidence that others could never imagine. To put it bluntly, while they had chosen to support a prince, it didn't mean they were placing all their hopes on him. Even if this prince were destined to ascend the throne, their wealth and power wouldn't derive from imperial power. Whether the imperial power could subdue them, and whether it could ultimately make them suffer the consequences of this predicament, remained to be seen!
Therefore, the Wang family of Taiyuan firmly entered the game.
Qi Chengming could only remain silent and show respect.
To put it bluntly, he didn't have much of a relationship with the aristocratic families. Even if he had some connections with the Wang family, it wouldn't dispel his determination to take action against them later. He didn't rely on the aristocratic families to seize the throne. Both sides were well aware that the aristocratic families didn't truly respect or pledge allegiance to him as a prince.
Then let's each go our own way!
Let's see if Qi Chengming can defeat them in the end, or if the powerful families can reap the benefits of Qi Chengming's secrets and escape unscathed, ultimately winning the imperial power.
“Cousin, I’m leaving now. If there are any new developments in Taiyuan, they will be communicated to me after Zhang Jinshi is appointed as the county magistrate.” Wang Shuo stood up and said goodbye.
The distance between Taiyuan and Luoyang is about nine hundred li. Controlling the transmission of intelligence and information back and forth, and stirring up trouble on both sides, requires constant monitoring. In the coming period, Wang Shuo and several other companions are secretly causing trouble in the capital and are extremely busy, so they have no time to spare.
Thankfully, Zhang Ji went there to take up his post.
"Understood." Qi Chengming rubbed his throbbing temples, changed into a new bamboo-green outfit before heading out, and, accompanied by Song Gu, went to attend the wedding banquet of the legitimate princess with congratulatory gifts.
In order to prevent Emperor Hongren from seizing the "ticket system" and to exact a severe revenge on the unpredictable Emperor Hongren, Qi Chengming had laid out contingency plans several years ago and had been secretly making arrangements again this year, which had taken several months to complete. He had gone to great lengths to avoid Emperor Hongren's attention.
In times of great importance, one should remain calm and composed. Now that the event is about to begin, he should be even more so and wait and see.
What will his actions do to the future? Without the support of a major plotline, his future will become completely unknown. Will his life be in danger? Will his struggle for the throne be greatly affected? Qi Chengming was uneasy, but he did not regret what he did.
He had reached his limit of tolerance for Emperor Hongren. Emperor Hongren's actions had indeed affected the people's livelihood and development, and halted the progress of infrastructure construction.
Old Deng, I'll let you laugh for one more day. See you after the princess's wedding.
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Author's Note: Qi Chengming's current position as Crown Prince is rather awkward. Although he is the Crown Prince and is gaining experience and handling affairs, he seems quite transparent. However, Emperor Hongren will soon forget about being wary of him.
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