Chapter 7, the second reborn Qi
The next morning.
One after another, young eunuchs and palace maids came to the palace to kowtow and then silently left. Some of them, who had not yet found another job, continued to work for the Second Prince as usual.
By noon, the incident of the Second Prince causing a scene in the Imperial Kitchen the previous night had finally spread and become public knowledge.
"Second Prince?" The Third Prince paused for a moment while writing with his brush in the study, then quickly resumed writing without letting any ink drip. He chuckled dismissively, "He has a bit of cleverness, but it's not very useful. Ignore him."
Can't he tell whether the Second Prince, whom he's bullied every day, is truly weak and incompetent or deep and shrewd?
If the second son had secretly used his past in Liuzhou to control the people in the Imperial Kitchen, he might have been more cautious and vigilant. But the second son... was both cowardly and useless. He got carried away as soon as he finally got a chance to get revenge, and he went to the Imperial Kitchen triumphantly and ostentatiously, wanting everyone to know that he had finally gotten his moment of triumph.
Oh, ignore him.
The Third Prince, who was arrogant and possessed both literary and martial talents, had every right to be so proud. He didn't take the Second Prince seriously at all, and yesterday's framing was just a convenient excuse. The First Prince, as the eldest son, and the Sixth Prince, as the legitimate son, were his real enemies.
...
The fifteen-year-old eldest prince has already begun attending court and participating in government affairs.
At noon, he had just returned to the Crown Prince's residence from several advisors when the Crown Princess came out to greet him and personally handed him a cup of perilla tea.
"Let them do these chores, how is that troubling you?" the eldest prince said casually, tilting his head back to drink his wine in one gulp, and gestured to his attendant, "You continue."
"It's alright." The Crown Princess smiled, gazing tenderly at her husband's gentle and refined face.
The eldest prince was favored, and his residence was the largest and most suitable for living. However, even the largest residence could not accommodate the ever-increasing number of wives, concubines, and children. Even if the eldest prince wanted to have a private conversation with his attendant, he had to return to his study in the front hall first. He was impatient with this, but he was also happy for his large family to endure this cramped living space.
Staying in the palace offers a chance, like my second brother... leaving the palace to take up a fiefdom would be a better choice, as he could live a better life there than in the palace.
So the eldest prince also contributed to yesterday's rumors, believing it was the only thing he could do for his second brother.
This is his responsibility as the eldest brother.
"...His Highness the Second Prince has somehow become close to the current Imperial Clan Court Minister, so...the incident at the Imperial Kitchen last night was also due to him taking advantage of the situation," the attendant explained.
"Uncle?" The eldest prince pondered quietly, then shook his head. "Don't worry about it. My second brother's fiefdom is already decided. It doesn't matter if Uncle and he have a better personal relationship."
“However…” The eldest prince sighed and exchanged a glance with his attendant. The attendant had been the one who carried out yesterday’s scheme; they were both in the know, but they never expected that their furious father would actually enfeoff his second brother in Liuzhou, a godforsaken place close to Lingnan.
The eldest prince looked regretful, then hesitated, saying, "Second brother... what a pity."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Princess spoke gently and tactfully, "I don't know when my second brother will depart, but it should be no later than this month. I will go and give him a farewell gift then."
"Thank you for your hard work," the eldest prince said gently. "I've been very busy lately, so please take care of any things I might have neglected."
The two exchanged a knowing glance, then returned hand in hand to the Crown Prince's residence, another harmonious scene of a loving couple, though it may have stung someone's eyes.
In the Imperial Garden.
Orange and Bamboo Shoots listened to the whispers as if struck by lightning: "After the Second Prince caused such a scene... who would dare to underestimate him? There are still a hundred Imperial Guards, including that Chief Eunuch Song from the Imperial Household Department. The Emperor may be angry, but the Second Prince is still his son."
"No matter what, we would never embarrass the royal family. We've finally gotten our revenge!"
The two young palace maids' hands trembled even more as they held the brooms.
Although they had asked their sister to pass on a message, they didn't end up being assigned to sweep or clean in the palace of Consort Shu or in front of the First Prince's residence. Instead, they were randomly assigned to the Imperial Garden. This was fine too; at least it was much better than the secluded residence of the Second Prince.
but……
"Don't be afraid. No matter how powerful the Second Prince is, he still has to go to Liuzhou." Sunzi held her friend's hand in return to comfort her, and also to comfort herself. Her face was pale. "We... were right not to go."
"But... what if the Second Prince settles scores with us?" What Ju Zi regretted was not that they had escaped, but that even if the Second Prince was going to Liuzhou in the future, he had clearly regained some power. What if what he said yesterday was just a test and he actually wanted to take revenge on them?
The two young palace maids exchanged an uneasy glance, extremely anxious.
...
"Very good, this is the effect I wanted." Qi Chengming walked at the gate of the Imperial Clan Court, listening to the news that Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi had gone out to investigate today, and was very satisfied with the reaction from the outside world.
His enemies were complacent and continued to ignore him. Those who had wronged him lived in constant fear. Meanwhile, he purged his own base and avenged the original owner of this body.
The imperial kitchen was extremely attentive this morning and at noon, respectfully inviting Xiao Chengzi to choose the dishes and having Xiao Buzi serve him at every turn. Xiao Chengzi didn't immediately go to find the two chefs his prince had chosen; he was too conspicuous right now, so he observed them discreetly for a while first.
"This is a token for leaving the palace."
The old man, Zongren, tossed over a hastily made sign. “When you go to see your grandfather, keep an eye on him to see if he’s secretly fishing again! But—you’re not allowed to stay out overnight, or I’ll be in big trouble.”
Princes can leave the palace to perform official duties at the age of thirteen; currently, only the eldest and second princes have this right. The third prince's fiefdom or residence remains undecided, so he has not yet received his token.
"Okay." Qi Chengming caught the plaque with quick eyes and hands. He saw that the small wooden plaque, which could be held in the palm of his hand, was inlaid with gold edges, had a warm and smooth feel, and was engraved with unique dragon patterns. In the center, the character "二" (two) was engraved in large seal script, and below it, the smaller characters "承明" (Chengming) were engraved, representing his unique status as the second prince.
Qi Chengming picked it up with satisfaction and carefully hung it on his waist.
He has a lot to do today.
Before taking the token, he first chatted for a few words with Chief Steward Song of the Imperial Clan Court, who had been assigned by the Emperor.
Chief Eunuch Song was also a senior eunuch, about twenty or thirty years old. He was well-maintained, but spoke with humility and respect. After listening for a while, he reliably took on the three tasks of preparing herbs, keeping warm clothes, and asking the Imperial Hospital for prescriptions.
Qi Chengming was reassured that this eunuch did this because his name had automatically jumped into the "infrastructure system" talent list last night. This, however, left Qi Chengming puzzled for a long time—after the emperor issued the order, had he gone through a fierce internal struggle and finally genuinely submitted?
Isn't this loyalty coming too easily?
So she was willing to go to Liuzhou with him without any regrets?
Completely confused.
However, Qi Chengming was becoming increasingly adept at ordering people around, and he immediately glanced at Xiao Dezi without making a sound. The little eunuch understood and left.
Even now, Qi Chengming had just received the palace exit pass from his old uncle and was walking out with great excitement. When he was almost at the middle gate, Xiao Dezi caught up with him, panting and running in a disheveled manner: "Your Highness! Your Highness!"
"Oh, you've come at just the right time. If we'd been any later, we wouldn't have been able to take you with us when we left the palace." Qi Chengming turned around and teased him, telling him not to rush. "Take your time. What did you find out?"
Further ahead are the inner and outer gates of the palace, both guarded by imperial guards, and a pass is required to pass through.
Qi Chengming asked casually without much hope, after all, he was unfamiliar with the Imperial Clan Court, what could a foreign eunuch like Xiao Dezi possibly find out?
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Dezi actually revealed some shocking news that stunned Qi Chengming: "I...I've found out...there was also a commotion at the Imperial Clan Court last night!" "This Chief Steward Song is not the same Chief Steward Song as before!"
Qi Chengming: "?"
"Huff...huff, the Imperial Clan Court originally had a mature and steady Chief Eunuch Song, but he fell ill last night, vomiting and having diarrhea...the imperial physician said he caught a cold and can't get out of bed, he needs to recuperate for at least half a month...it's not suitable for him to travel." Xiao Dezi didn't dare to say that the Emperor's decree specifically named which Chief Eunuch Song he wanted to send, so he could only continue vaguely.
"This current Steward Song is younger, and also surnamed Song. He was originally the steward in charge of guarding the warehouse."
What should we do about this?
One was too old and ill to go, while the other was young and also surnamed Song. The Emperor hadn't specified which Chief Eunuch Song would go, so the Imperial Clan Court could only make do with this unfortunate arrangement. Uncle, biting his pen and frowning, added the name to the travel list with a sigh of exasperation.
Why bother?
Eunuchs' status and honor depend on the emperor's favor. Chief Eunuch Song was unwilling to lose the chance to stay, so he resorted to such a crude and underhanded trick to avoid going to Liuzhou. Even if he could stay, what good would it do? Would the emperor still have a good impression of him? This would ruin his future opportunities. He might as well go to Liuzhou with the Second Prince!
Qi Chengming thought the same thing after hearing it, and couldn't help but sigh, "The methods are too crude. It would have been better if he had waited a while longer before getting sick... No, in a few days the list will be finalized. If he's only mildly ill, he might have to endure it and keep up, but if he's seriously ill, he might have to be carried out. This is his only chance."
Qi Chengming shook his head.
Although he still felt it was a bad move, he was pleased to have gained a new steward willing to serve him without much effort.
The journey ahead is still fraught with difficulties, so the less friction there is, the easier it will be.
"Let's go, let's go to the Marquis of Weiyong's residence!" Qi Chengming couldn't wait. Although he didn't need to bother his maternal family with those trivial matters, he hadn't forgotten his first infrastructure project. He still needed a few professional technicians, so he could only ask his maternal family to help him find them.
This infrastructure project must be completed before departure. Qi Chengming couldn't wait to secretly devour the books from the mission rewards! They were all incredibly helpful for traveling.
...
Song Gu saw off wave after wave of people who came to comfort him after hearing the bad news.
He was always kind and courteous to his colleagues. Few people respected eunuchs, and even fewer were willing to work with them, so he cherished his peaceful life in the Imperial Clan Court. But ironically, eunuchs were creatures who, the more difficult their situation, the fiercer their infighting, vying to climb the ranks. Take, for example, that old Chief Eunuch Song who won against him with impeccable qualifications and background.
From then on, the other party became famous, while he remained unknown.
Fortunately, Song Gu also liked the position of guarding the warehouse, which is why he stayed for so long.
but……
Song Gu concealed the dangerous glint in his eyes and went out as if nothing had happened. He needed to brace himself and take care of the trivial preparations for the Second Prince's departure.
...But he was determined to get this job in Liuzhou.
Who could have imagined that someone would meticulously plot against Chief Steward Song, just to get Young Chief Steward Song added to the list? No one could uncover this conspiracy, because no one would have thought that someone would be so eager to follow the Second Prince to their death.
If we miss this opportunity, we won't see our master again for many years.
Song Gu's current public name is not Song Gu, but "Song Lian". He was given this name by his new master after they met, and there is a story behind it...
Thinking of this, a moment of tender nostalgia flickered in Song Gu's eyes as he hurried along with his head down, and he began to make plans again.
Fortunately, we made it in time.
This time, he couldn't change his name either.
A note from the author:
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Song Gu: Look at me! Look at me! Master! Have you ever thought about changing your name? (hinting)
Qi Chengming: My first impression was that this manager seemed quite obedient—what's going on? (Suspicious)
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