Chapter 8 The Emperor: Prince Yan, you've bullied a mere orphan girl. ...
Zhong Changjun, the eunuch who accompanied the emperor, led the Prince of Yan into the palace.
"Greetings, Zhong'an. Your father-in-law has been by Third Brother's side today. Did you notice that Third Brother was troubled by official duties? How is Third Brother's mood today?"
Zhong Changjun was born into a family of eunuchs and served the emperor daily. He was the emperor's closest minister and even the Prince of Yan had to show him respect. However, despite his high position, he was never arrogant and always had a gentle smile on his face. Anyone who was with him felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
Every time the Prince of Yan paid homage to the Emperor, Zhong Changjun would give him a hint, informing him of the Emperor's mood.
Today, however, Zhong Changjun did not utter a word. His thin face still wore a smile, but it was as if a mask was frozen on it.
The more this is the case, the more uneasy one becomes.
The hall was extremely quiet, with only the sound of the water clock dripping, echoing in the silence.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Strangely, the curtains in the palace were drawn today, separating the outer hall from the inner hall.
Unable to be summoned, he could only stop outside. Looking up, he saw a tall, slender figure in a white robe and jade belt standing beside the incense burner behind the light veil. He held a golden spoon in his hand and slowly poured the incense into the Boshan burner, from which wisps of blue smoke rose.
A thin wisp of smoke lingered around him. Although the emperor was recuperating from his injuries, his elegant and noble air remained undiminished, as refined as a pine tree in the snow.
The young emperor was not a weak ruler who could not even hold a bow. When he was a scion of a noble family, he personally led his troops to quell a rebellion for the Chu state and rose to fame in the Battle of Yingchuan.
Afterwards, the late emperor, on his advice, raised an army, and within two years quelled the tyrannical Chu state, and within three years established his rule over the world.
All of this was thanks to the Emperor's advice and strategies.
Xiao Luozhi vaguely sensed something amiss in the atmosphere today, and bowed, reporting, "This morning, I went to Scholar Pei's residence to study, and this afternoon I will go to the training ground to practice archery and horsemanship, and learn military strategy..."
"How many stones of bow can you draw now?" The emperor's clear and elegant voice came from behind the gauze curtain.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is four and a half shi (a unit of dry measure)."
"Compared to before I went to Longxi, it seems there has been no progress."
These seemingly casual words caused Xiao Luozhi's heartstrings to tremble deeply. He smiled and said, "Your younger brother is naturally not as good as Your Majesty, but I know that Your Majesty loves crossbows. I recently acquired a new one. Once Your Majesty is well, let's go hunting together in the forest. Your Majesty can personally test my progress during this time. What do you say?"
Xiao Luozhi smiled, trying his best to liven up the atmosphere.
In the past, my elder brother would have agreed.
But the emperor never responded.
An answer was about to emerge in his mind: was it related to him sending someone to the Yuan residence?
Xiao Luo said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report..."
Before he could finish speaking, the emperor's voice interrupted, "The Yuan family daughter has entered the capital. You should take good care of her during this time. I sent someone to deliver a message to you this afternoon. Did you receive it?"
Xiao Luozhi closed his eyes, his words swirling in his throat several times before he finally said, "I cannot comply with this marriage! This afternoon I sent someone to inform the Second Miss and discuss the annulment of the engagement with her."
“I know I’m being willful, but marriage is something that can’t be forced! I’m deeply grateful for your high regard, but I haven’t achieved anything yet and haven’t repaid your teachings. I can’t rest easy, so how can I start a family? That woman is not the one I like, but she’s going to be my queen. If I’m bound to this for the rest of my life, brother, I’d rather you just die!”
The King of Yan's words caused all the palace servants in the hall to hold their breath.
Even Zhong Changjun, who was used to seeing all kinds of storms, gradually lost his smile.
"Is that so?" The emperor's calm voice came from behind the gauze curtain, and he was actually laughing.
"You've already met that Yuan family girl?"
"I have not yet met my younger brother."
"It must be that she is vulgar and unattractive, which disgusted my younger brother so much that he couldn't stand it for even half a day. So he sent someone to tell her that he vowed never to marry her in this life."
The Prince of Yan's hands, which were already damp with sweat as he bowed, said, "No, although I have not yet met her, we cannot hastily arrange a marriage. If there is an opportunity in the future, we will get to know each other better."
The emperor seemed to understand something and laughed, "I hadn't known before. You sent someone directly to the Yuan family to annul the engagement, yet you are so cautious and respectful in front of me. Why? Is it because she is of humble status and you can bully her at will, while I hold power and you have to think twice before even replying?"
"Your Majesty!" The Prince of Yan's face turned deathly pale.
"The Prince of Yan has such a grand strategy!" the Emperor exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration.
The figure emerged from behind the gauze curtain, a corner of the brocade robe slowly flashing before the eyes.
The Prince of Yan trembled and subconsciously lowered his eyes, not daring to look directly into the Emperor's eyes.
A gentle, smiling voice came from above: "So, your decisions can be changed overnight? Do you think that because you hold a high position, everyone should admire you, and you only need your ministers to run around cleaning up the mess for you, without having to consider the consequences for others? Or is the Prince of Yan so shrewd and calculating that he has thought everything through?"
Suddenly, the emperor's hand sank on his shoulder, the heavy force pressing down on the Prince of Yan until he knelt on both knees.
If Xiao Luozhi had previously harbored doubts, he now truly felt the emperor's anger.
His throat tightened as he said, "My father also had a marriage agreement with Miss Yuan's mother back then, but it was eventually called off..."
The Emperor's voice could even be described as gentle: "In that case, how about I issue a decree? Send it to the Yuan family and let the world know that the Prince of Yan harbors resentment and will never marry Miss Yuan the Second in this lifetime."
"Brother, you mustn't!"
Why not?
"Miss Yuan is in a difficult situation, how can we treat her like this? But my brother keeps pressuring me to agree to the marriage, and I can't comply... Please punish me, brother!"
The emperor looked at the person beside him and said, "Zhong Changjun, what did I say to the Prince of Yan when I sent you here today?"
Zhong Changjun, who was standing against the wall, bowed and whispered, "His Majesty has decreed that the youngest daughter of the Yuan family has come to the capital to fulfill the old agreement made by the late Emperor, and to discuss the marriage between the Prince of Yan and the youngest daughter of the Yuan family."
The slightly emphasized word "discuss" reached Xiao Luozhi's ears.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Luozhi turned deathly pale.
The Emperor laughed and said, "Prince of Yan, have you seen her face? Do you know her? Do you know what kind of character she is? Then you say you don't like her. If you can do all these things, then before me you will say that you do not wish to marry her. That would be a truly well-thought-out decision."
"Prince Yan, tell me, are you bullying an orphaned girl?"
The words were like needles piercing Xiao Luozhi's ears, causing his chest to tremble violently.
"I am investigating the old cases of the previous dynasty and exonerating Yuan Gong in order to appease the hearts of the former officials. Whoever marries her will be given an important position by me. I will spread the word that I treat the former officials with courtesy. This is for the public good. Even if the marriage between the Yuan family daughter and the imperial family does not come to fruition, I will take her as my adopted sister in consideration of our past friendship with the Yuan family. This is for the private good."
"Did you consider these things before breaking off the engagement?"
The emperor's fingers, adorned with a jade thumb ring, tapped against the table, each sound deeper than the last.
He gave instructions to the people beside him, and soon Zhong Changjun came from behind the hall, holding a box in both hands, and bent down to present it to the King of Yan.
The magnificent dark red wooden box is intricately carved with intertwined floral patterns, making it exceptionally exquisite.
Xiao Luozhi found it extremely strange. The moment his gaze fell on the wooden box, his heart pounded. The lacquer was so thick that it seemed as if blood was about to seep out from the cracks.
Zhong Changjun smiled slightly and unveiled the secret for the King of Yan.
A head, severed cleanly at the neck, lay there, its edges raw and bleeding, the bloodstains already purplish-black. Zhong Changjun carefully straightened the head—
A pair of venomous eyes suddenly met Xiao Luozhi's gaze.
The emperor smiled slightly: "Come, recognize your cousin."
Xiao Luozhi's expression changed drastically, and his hand supporting him on the ground trembled slightly: "Cousin..."
Zhong Changjun laughed and said, "Lord Lu had previously made great contributions in battle and gained His Majesty's trust. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel and led the army to the front line. However, His Majesty had warned him about the military strategy and warned him not to be greedy for merit and advance recklessly. The Colonel still disregarded the decree and almost led his troops to their deaths. Therefore, the Colonel had no choice but to offer his head to apologize to His Majesty. It is truly a pity and a lament."
The emperor said, "Since the Prince of Yan is so shrewd, why don't you think about the difference between your head and this head?"
Xiao Luozhi lowered his eyes, but the empty eyes of the head were still staring straight at him. His heart pounded wildly, and he heard himself say, "What happened today was due to my recklessness and poor judgment."
The Prince of Yan closed his eyes briefly, then raised his head again, his expression returning to normal. "Your subject will apologize to Miss Yuan Er."
Zhong Changjun praised, "His Majesty is naturally pleased that the Prince of Yan is so insightful. As for this head..."
Zhong Changjun slowly lifted it up and handed it to Prince Yan. "The Lu family is, after all, the Empress Dowager's own family. I urge Prince Yan to personally go to the Lu residence and think carefully about how to inform the Lu family."
Sweat beaded on the ground before the steps, and the King of Yan bowed again.
"Your subject agrees."
When the Prince of Yan left the palace, the bright moon was still high in the sky.
He had met the emperor countless times, but never before had he felt as if he had rolled across a rack of torture instruments as he did today.
It had only been half an hour inside, but it felt like a different world.
The emperor is composed and magnanimous, able to act as he pleases, because he holds the reins of the world and no one can escape his grasp.
Even though his elder brother broke with the late emperor over that old matter and was willing to give up the position of crown prince and live in seclusion in the mountains, when the late emperor was seriously ill, only he was the one summoned to his side on his deathbed.
That was the eldest son whom the king valued most; he was the one who planned and shaped the fate of the world.
At the beginning of the new dynasty, internal strife had not yet subsided, and the situation was precarious. Apart from the emperor, no one could stabilize the newly established Xiao family empire.
His current official position was bestowed upon him by his elder brother, the Emperor. From Major General of Qingzhou Camp to Grand General of the Eastern Route, and then to Military Governor of Ji, Ding and You Prefectures, it was exactly the same as what his elder brother had held back then, but they were not comparable.
How can one defy an imperial decree?
Xiao Luozhi lowered his head, and the wooden box in his hand, which was only a foot or so long, seemed to weigh a ton.
Ye Shu waited outside the hall and took the wooden box from his hands.
The night wind lifted Xiao Luozhi's wide sleeves. He stood under the moon for a long time, slowly taking out the letter. The moonlight made the ink on the paper exceptionally clear.
The words of rebuke, "Prince Yan, you are bullying a mere orphan girl," still echo in my ears.
Has he seen what she looks like? Does he know what kind of person she is? Does he know anything about her life? Yet he says he doesn't like her.
Xiao Luozhi ran his fingertips along the edge of the letter, looking at the elegant and graceful small regular script, and said, "Her handwriting was never that bad. Didn't she wander outside when she was young?"
Ye Shu said, "No, the Second Miss was taken in by a scholarly family in the Northwest when she was young."
"So that's how it is..." Xiao Luozhi murmured, repeatedly reading the handwriting on the letter. "What illness does she have that requires so many medicinal herbs?"
"I will go to the Imperial Medical Bureau tomorrow to inquire about it."
"Hmm...it might be a common ailment that the Imperial Medical Bureau may not be familiar with. We might as well visit a few more pharmacies."
The palace path stretches long, with the shadows of locust trees swaying gently.
Upon reaching the bedchamber, the palace maids greeted him softly. Only then did Xiao Luozhi pull himself out of his thoughts, tuck the letter into his sleeve, and beneath his sword-like brows, his eyes reflected the dark sky.
Even if Miss Yuan were standing right in front of him right now, and she pleased him in every way, he would never marry her.
Blue and white locust blossoms drifted down from the treetops onto his shoulder. Too lazy to brush them away, he turned and instructed before entering the palace: "Tomorrow, prepare these medicinal herbs and send them to the Yuan residence. Also, please pass on a few words to her for me."
Ye Shu leaned closer and, after understanding what was being said, a look of astonishment crossed his face.
"Did you hear what I said?"
Ye Shuxuan immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."
A note from the author:
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Emperor (early term): Have you thought this through? Then tell me you want to annul the engagement.
In the later years of the emperor's reign: If you think it's wrong for me to be a mistress, then break off your engagement with your fiancée and let her marry me, instead of accusing me of being a mistress.
Soon it will be time for Morning Dew to meet the Emperor~
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