Chapter 182 Responding to the Impeachment of the Man...
"Perfect timing, Chengming. You haven't seen your brother since you returned to the capital, have you? Go on." Emperor Hongren gave the order, waving Qi Chengming, who had come with him, to the side of the hall, where he stood with the two princes.
Since the Third Prince was demoted to a commoner, only the First Prince and the Sixth Prince remained in the court who were qualified to participate in government affairs.
As Qi Chengming walked over, he inadvertently took a good look at the two of them.
Despite being a time traveler for three years, this is actually the first time he's seriously interacted with his brothers. Three years ago, he was a nobody who was slunk away from the palace, not even a single prince came to see him off; he wasn't even worth a perfunctory gesture.
It was from that time that Qi Chengming began to doubt the reputation of the eldest prince's "gentlemanly demeanor." Was it all just a facade?
Now he observes the past closely:
The eighteen-year-old prince already possessed the physique of a standard adult. Today, dressed in his princely court robes, he sported a beard, and his almond-shaped eyes exuded gentle composure. Even his normal face conveyed a sense of gentle smiles. He was, in essence, a handsome man with a refined and elegant demeanor, possessing a graceful (in a positive sense) physique reminiscent of the proverb "a gentleman as virtuous as bamboo."
Who would have thought he was a hypocrite?
It's incredibly deceptive.
Upon seeing Qi Chengming approach, the eldest prince displayed a friendly and respectful attitude, smiling gently as he said, "Second brother."
Qi Chengming secretly hissed, unwilling to be outdone. He performed the proper bowing and said sincerely, "Elder brother."
To avoid losing face upon returning to the capital and to maintain a respectable image, Qi Chengming had also taken extra lessons in etiquette on the ship. He practiced how to walk gracefully, how to bow gracefully, how to move with poise and elegance without being rude, and all the taboos in the palace.
Now is the time to put it to use!
Among the waiting ministers, one royalist's eyes lit up, unable to contain his admiration and excitement: "..."
Look at that demeanor!
The rumors outside were indeed true; the Second Prince was the Emperor's beloved son whom he had been secretly cultivating!
He simply couldn't believe that the Second Prince, who had been mistreated in the palace since childhood and suffered so much hardship in remote areas, could have developed such poise and manners. Could the Second Prince have known so many intricacies without the Emperor's patrons?
Furthermore, could all the inventions mentioned in the previous impeachment have been the work of the Second Prince alone?
Why don't we usually see so many talented people? Why are they all suddenly appearing in Liuzhou all at once?
Thinking of all this, and considering His Majesty's increasingly clear attitude recently, the minister became even more certain. Recalling the matters His Majesty had discussed with the Six Ministries in the past two days, he began to ponder and formulate a plan.
"Second Brother!" The Sixth Prince stepped forward to greet him, his voice trembling.
"Greetings, Sixth Brother." Qi Chengming returned the greeting respectfully, but he was somewhat surprised.
As the eldest son of the emperor, the sixth prince was also someone Qi Chengming was paying attention to. Even though he didn't need to really care about the sixth prince because of the original plot and the fact that he had enough leverage to bring down the empress, Qi Chengming still didn't dare to be careless and observed him carefully.
The Sixth Prince had a thin face but a full forehead. He was small and slender, and although he was thirteen years old, he looked like he was in his early teens. To say he had a blessed appearance was contradictory, but to say he didn't was also contradictory, as his appearance didn't quite match. When he saw Qi Chengming, the Sixth Prince's attitude was overly respectful, showing none of the impatience or youthful arrogance that Qi Chengming had heard in the intelligence report.
On the contrary... I felt a little timid.
Only those dark eyes were rather unusual, yet they held no hostility whatsoever, causing Qi Chengming to glance at them a few more times, completely bewildered.
He quickly thought about it in his mind and suddenly realized something.
You can tell just by looking at their bone structure!
The sixth prince likely has an oval face and a full forehead, inheriting the dignified appearance of the empress—the kind of peaceful and prosperous look favored by brides in ancient times. As he grows older, he'll likely develop into a classically handsome man.
But the Sixth Prince is acting strangely now; he's become so thin he's almost unrecognizable, losing his former good looks. Qi Chengming casually guessed a reason: could it be due to a teenage boy's growth spurt and picky eating?
He stood between his two brothers, finding it amusing and amusing.
That's outrageous.
The eldest prince, from a military family, had none of the sharp features or capable air of a warrior; instead, he was a refined gentleman. Leaving aside how surprising and unexpected his public image was, the same was true of the sixth prince. Judging by appearances alone, who would guess he was the most capable and legitimate prince?
If a minister who doesn't know the princes were to come, he might mistake the sixth prince for the "second prince" who was mistreated from childhood and had no mother to care for him!
"Good, good." Emperor Hongren looked at the three princes standing in a row, their brotherly affection and respect evident, and nodded with satisfaction.
His gaze swept over Zhao Fuman, and the head eunuch raised his staff and announced loudly, "Attend court!"
At this time of day, ministers with important matters would usually step forward to report, but today they exchanged knowing glances, postponing anything of importance. Only two imperial censors perked up, stubbornly raising their jade tablets: "Prince Rui is also present today. If we were to impeach him again, it would be seen as disturbing the people's livelihood and trying to win their hearts..."
"I second that proposal." "I also second that proposal..."
Qi Chengming glanced at them without showing any emotion.
This must be the reason why the young eunuch secretly reminded him last time that someone was seizing on his act of helping refugees, trying to give him a reputation that would arouse the emperor's suspicion. He's still up to his old tricks; there's another one waiting for him today.
Qi Chengming wasn't in such a hurry.
He panicked last time, but he's thought things through since then. There are countless taboo things he's done, and it's only a matter of time before Emperor Hongren becomes wary of him. Can he stop doing them because of that? No.
So we need to see how Emperor Hongren reacts first.
The sixth prince carefully and discreetly observed his unfamiliar second elder brother from the side:
The teenager had a certain composure. Even though he had just been summoned back from that remote place and had no family background or power, he did not panic when faced with the sudden series of impeachments. Instead, he calmly and peacefully raised his eyes to look at his father, the emperor, above him.
He has a very clear mind and can grasp the main points and priorities.
This skill in cultivating inner strength impressed the Sixth Prince, and he secretly memorized it and tried to learn it.
"Prince Rui, what explanation do you have?" Emperor Hongren, instead of calling out the name of the second prince, addressed him by his title in a formal and unreadable manner, asking him by name.
Qi Chengming knew his political acumen was lacking, and his ability to adapt to changing circumstances was probably no match for those seasoned officials. All he could do was work hard to make up for his shortcomings. So after returning home from the palace last time, he spent a long time in his study pondering what would happen next. If Emperor Hongren didn't let the matter drop, or if the subsequent turmoil resurfaced, how should he respond?
Now it's truly time to put it to use.
Being prepared naturally leads to composure and calmness.
Qi Chengming cupped his hands in response, saying, "The adults' guesses are completely unfounded. I beg Your Majesty to investigate. As a prince, I have known since childhood that since the royal family is supported by all the people of the world, it is only right to protect the common people. If I were to remain indifferent to the refugees I see along the way, I would be ashamed to be Your Majesty's child."
"Prince Rui has quite the silver tongue!" A court official, seeing the Emperor so pleased with himself and nodding with a smile, turned pale and could only jump out to rebuke him.
"Compassion for the refugees and winning over the hearts of the people are two different things. If Prince Rui has no ulterior motives, why not keep the refugees in the nearby soup kitchens? Why leave behind expensive charcoal? Why organize them to dig trenches and build shelters, and train them to rise and sleep in unison? And why secretly send them to stay at his private estate in the suburbs of Beijing? I saw all of that with my own eyes. What else could this be but selfishness?"
Qi Chengming laughed in anger. The sophistry and distortion of the truth in the imperial court were nothing new. He had already seen something truly eye-opening on his very first day back.
"May I ask, sir, if the soup kitchens cannot accommodate all the refugees, and the outskirts of the capital cannot house them all, and I see this and cannot bear to lend a helping hand, is that a mistake?" Qi Chengming retorted. "My estate has my own rules, and those who wish to stay must abide by them. If others are kind enough to also take in refugees, I will gladly accept them."
"Regardless of whether this gentleman offers assistance, is willing to contribute his private estate, or cares about the lives of the refugees... he shouldn't be so aggressive when I'm doing good deeds." Qi Chengming's tone gradually turned cold and sharp, his gaze fixed straight at him without flinching.
Upon arriving at court, Qi Chengming found himself faced with such a sensitive matter, yet he showed no intention of temporarily avoiding the limelight. He ignored the several censors who had raised their questions, turned to Emperor Hongren, bowed, straightened his back, and offered no further explanation:
“Father. Your son is unwilling to disregard the safety of the people he witnessed for the sake of reputation and to avoid suspicion. I have a clear conscience about what I did. If this matter does not conform to the rules of conduct for vassal kings and has exceeded the regulations, your son is willing to accept punishment. Please forgive your son for his next offense.”
His attitude was very firm, indicating that he would not change his mind no matter what.
Although Qi Chengming was fairly certain that Emperor Hongren would be pleased by his concern for the people, he hadn't noticed that Emperor Hongren sounded very happy at the beginning. However, the following sentences were entirely added to soothe Emperor Hongren's potentially emerging sense of apprehension.
What he did was indeed outrageous, regardless of whether he was set up or not.
But Qi Chengming will not change this aspect, just as he cannot stop using various modern "inventions" to benefit the people. If Emperor Hongren is wary, he will have to show a frank, open, and sincere side.
"...Good!" Emperor Hongren praised, flicked his sleeve, and scolded the officials to leave. "Even now you're still so stubborn and spouting nonsense. Zhao Fuman, go see how much these officials care for the refugees after court."
His words were neither warm nor cold, and the chief eunuch readily agreed, while the imperial officials broke out in a cold sweat.
Some who truly put in the effort have a clear conscience. Others who haven't done much are now feeling uneasy.
After Emperor Hongren finished reprimanding the group, he calmed himself down and sat down, considering the matter completely over.
He looked again at his second son, who stood straight down in the hall with his lips pursed. He had indeed felt a little uncomfortable just now.
If I had to say something...
This son has far too much freedom, and it's not even given to him by his father, the emperor; it's all done voluntarily by him. The more of what this son did in Liuzhou over the past few years is revealed, the more often Emperor Hongren feels uneasy, only to have it soberly suppressed afterward.
...But in any case, he was generally very happy.
Finally... among these good-for-nothing sons, there is one who understands the bigger picture and loves the people! What's even more valuable is that he has the backbone to persevere.
Emperor Hongren deliberately put on a cold face, wanting to see if the other party had the courage to accept the challenge and how they would respond, especially now that the second son had just returned.
The result did not disappoint him.
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