Chapter 21 reveals.
Jinzhou is adjacent to the capital, with its capital only about 200 li away. Emperor Jiahe built his temporary palace here, and whenever he made his southern tours, he would start from Jinzhou and travel south by boat along the Grand Canal. Jinzhou has convenient water and land transportation, and most of the goods from the north and south gathered here before being transported to the capital. Such a place was bound to be not a military stronghold. The city walls were only half the height of those in Jizhou. The tallest building in the capital was the Tower of Babel in the north of the city, which was completed five years ago.
The crown prince stood atop the city, gazing at the dense banners outside, a sight that inspired awe. He stared intently for a long time before finally asking, "Has General Shen given a reply?"
The Crown Prince still couldn't understand why Liu Yunfei had switched sides at the last minute. He had served under General Shen for over ten years. General Shen was upright, honest, and insightful. If Liu Yunfei were such a cunning and greedy person, how could he have won General Shen's favor? Moreover, since Liu Yunfei came to the capital, as the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, he had clashed with the Seventh Prince's arrogant and domineering officials several times, and had been impeached several times by the Seventh Prince's faction of civil officials.
How could someone like that switch sides to the Seventh Prince's camp?
High-ranking official positions and generous salaries? The Crown Prince might have agreed, but as a military general in the Great Han Dynasty, the most he could achieve was a non-royal prince like the Prince of Dingbei. However, this was because the Qin family had guarded the border for decades and saved the dynasty from collapse; their merits were too great to be granted. The Crown Prince didn't believe that even if the Seventh Prince was ruthless, he could surpass Xu Liuyunfei, the first-rank Duke, and grant him a non-royal prince position as well.
What would General Shen and the other generals guarding the border think? They might even harbor resentment.
Therefore, he asked Xie Yu to write a letter to General Shen, hoping that he could persuade Liu Yunfei.
Xie Yu said, "General Shen has written to Liu Yunfei several times, but to no avail. He intends to come to Jinzhou to persuade him in person."
The Crown Prince relaxed slightly, then sighed and said, "Yu Lang, now that I think about it, your advice to me back then was too risky, that you wanted to kill the Seventh Prince in prison, and all that happened before, was because I refused to listen to you, which is why I've ended up in this situation."
Since the passing of the former Grand Secretary, the Crown Prince felt a sense of relief, though he felt he had lost his support. From a young age, he had been taught by the Grand Secretary and bound by his every whim. Even when their opinions differed, though the Grand Secretary wouldn't object, things always ended up going according to the Grand Secretary's wishes. Now twenty-four, the Crown Prince reflected that he had never truly made his own decisions; even when he did, it was the Grand Secretary who had guided him on how to think.
Therefore, when the old chief minister was absent and Xie Yu came to support him again, he became rebellious and only wanted to prove himself, ignoring Xie Yu's repeated advice. Especially when the seventh prince was imprisoned, Xie Yu sent people to assassinate him, but the crown prince felt that he had the victory in his grasp and refused to take the "path of the petty man". Now he is trapped in Jinzhou and regrets his actions.
Xie Yu respectfully replied, "Your Highness is upright and acts as a benevolent ruler, which is a blessing for the country. We are merely a dragon stranded in shallow waters, and I dare not presume to speak of such a thing with my meager tricks."
The Crown Prince smiled gently and asked him, "How are Yongle and the children?"
Before the palace coup, the Sixteenth Princess was placed in a manor on the outskirts of the capital by Xie Yu. After that, she traveled to Jinzhou, where she was frightened on the way and suffered a miscarriage, giving birth to a baby girl prematurely.
Xie Yu said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The mother and daughter will be fine after a few more days of rest."
The Crown Prince said, "There's no need for such formalities between us. I'm your brother-in-law, and you're my sister's brother-in-law. I just hope we can get through this calamity smoothly and return to the capital. That will be a good time for us!"
When Xie Yu returned to his residence, it was already late. The child had been taken away by the wet nurse. Although the Sixteenth Princess was asleep, her brows were still furrowed and there were still tear stains on her face.
Although Xie Yu forbade the palace servants to make a sound, she was still awakened and asked Xie Yu, "Is there any news from Mother?"
Xie Yu was prepared and managed to escape the capital, but Consort Zhuang was trapped in the palace, her fate unknown.
Xie Yu said gently, "The Emperor is still in the palace. Although Consort Guo has taken control of the palace, no one dares to assassinate the Emperor. The Emperor's power still remains, so everyone in the harem should be safe. Moreover, the Seventh Prince and others are afraid that the situation will change in the future, so they will definitely keep Consort Zhuang as a life-saving talisman. Your own health is the most important thing, so there is no need to worry too much."
Her uncle had said these things before, but the Sixteenth Princess felt more at ease when she heard Xie Yu say them.
But then she thought, "What about my fifteenth sister? Is there any news about her?"
Xie Yu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.
Because of the lingering influence of Emperor Jiahe, the Seventh Prince would not make things difficult for others, but he would not let the Fifteenth Princess go.
He not only moved into the East Palace, but also allowed the Fifteenth Princess to live there, where he could humiliate her.
Panting heavily, the Seventh Prince rolled off the bed, pulling up his trousers as he looked at the bruised and battered Fifteenth Princess. He said smugly, "What? Weren't you so capable of lodging a complaint with the Emperor in the Golden Palace? Now you're like a bitch under me. Fifteenth, Fifteenth, Father didn't give you a title, how about your elder brother bestow one upon you? How about Jiaojiao? Dragons are inherently lewd, and jiaos are even more monstrous. You were born this kind of thing!"
The fifteenth princess lay there, unmoved by his insults, treating him like a roadside fly or stray dog.
The Seventh Prince both loved and hated her appearance. He grabbed her, pinched her fair skin, and grinned maliciously. "I love your arrogant look the most. Did you think I was drunk in the Imperial Garden that day? Hahaha, that was just fooling myself. Even if I hadn't been drinking, you'd still be mine! Fifteenth sister, my little darling, just wait and see how long you can keep up this arrogant act!"
The Seventh Prince stormed off, and Aunt Liu Cui entered the room to help the Fifteenth Princess get dressed.
Old wounds hadn't healed before new ones appeared. Aunt Liu Cui, feeling sorry for her, advised, "A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Just go along with him for now, and wait until the Crown Prince..."
Before she could finish speaking, the door was kicked open again, and the Seventh Princess Consort entered with palace servants. She glared at the Fifteenth Princess, who was still not dressed, on the bed with a ferocious expression. "Guards, force-feed her the medicine!"
Aunt Liu Cui couldn't stop her and was pulled aside. Several palace servants came up and forced the medicine into the Fifteenth Princess's mouth.
The Seventh Princess laughed shrilly, "Pour it all down! So that our pure and innocent Fifteenth Princess won't give birth to a monster!"
The fifteenth princess calmly wiped her mouth with her clothes. "I can drink it myself. Why do you have to force me to drink it every time? Does this make you feel better? If I give birth to a monster, do you think my seventh brother will register it under your name? After all, as long as it's mine, whether it's fragrant or foul, he'll accept it without question. You know that best, don't you?"
Upon hearing this, the Seventh Princess looked at her as if she were a ghost, her voice trembling: "You! You really are a monster! You are all monsters!"
She fled in disarray with her palace servants.
As the medicine gradually took effect, the Fifteenth Princess, who had already drunk the sterilization medicine herself, soon felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and turned pale, curling up in a ball on the bed.
Aunt Liu Cui stepped forward and hugged her tightly, fighting back tears, murmuring, "Bear with it, bear with it, the effects of the medicine will wear off soon, just bear with it, bear with it, the Crown Prince will be here soon..."
The fifteenth princess was covered in sweat, but she still tried her best to comfort her: "Aunt, you don't have to worry that I won't be able to hold on. I really wanted to die before, but I gritted my teeth and lived for my mother. I didn't expect my mother to know all along. She was afraid that I would be embarrassed and sad, so she kept quiet. Later, when he was to be made the crown prince, my mother thought that there was no hope left. She didn't want me to be coerced anymore, so she took a medicine and ended her own life."
"Before she died, she told me to live on, no matter how difficult or painful things were, that good things would eventually come if I kept living."
"Auntie, I will endure it, even if I have to live like a dog or a pig, I will survive."
"It's just a pity for you. Seventeenth Sister instructed Sixteenth Sister to take care of you and send you to my side, but they didn't know that sending you to me was actually harming you..."
Hearing her say that, Aunt Liu Cui could no longer hold back her tears. "Silly child, why are you saying these things? Aunt doesn't regret coming to serve you, she only regrets that she came too late and didn't cherish you more before."
The fifteenth princess in her arms had fainted from the pain, and Aunt Liu Cui thought of her other child—the seventeenth princess.
That's a very honest child. Knowing what's going on between the Crown Prince and the Fifteenth Princess, I wonder if he'll do something foolish.
Upon receiving the news, Qin Lie entrusted military affairs to Qin Hong and rode swiftly back from the border. By the time he arrived at the princess's residence, it was already dark.
He dismounted, tossed his riding whip to a servant, and strode into the mansion. Granny Zhao, waiting at the moon gate of the inner courtyard, hurried after him, running alongside, saying, "Perhaps the princess's mansion was robbed a few days ago, and she was frightened. Since then, she has been listless, and in the last two or three days, she has had difficulty eating and sleeping, and even sheds tears for no reason during the day. The renowned physician couldn't find the cause, so he dared to ask someone to deliver a message to the prince consort."
As they spoke, they arrived at the bedroom door. Qin Lie pushed the door open and went in, while Granny Zhao tactfully closed the door and stood guard outside.
Lingyi was silently shedding tears when she heard the sound. She turned around and threw herself into Qin Lie's arms, hugging his waist and saying, "Please, General, save my brother and sister!"
Qin Lie was feeling her complete affection and dependence when he suddenly heard this. His fingers froze on her shoulder, and he wondered if he had misheard. He asked softly, "What did you say?"
Lingyi took a step back and bowed in a palace salute. "Yongjia begs the general to send troops to Jinzhou to rescue the Crown Prince!"
She was a princess, and apart from the emperor and empress, she didn't need to pay homage to anyone else. But she knew perfectly well that in front of Qin Lie, and in Jizhou, what kind of princess was she? She even had to rely on Qin Lie for her own life. If she didn't ask him for help, could she possibly order him to send troops to Jinzhou?
Instead of answering, Qin Lie asked, "Where did you learn about these things?"
He thought Qiu Min was a smart man, but he was wrong.
Ling Yi said, “General, you need not worry about where I learned this. The Crown Prince is currently trapped in Jinzhou, and the Emperor is controlled by the Seventh Prince’s faction. The Imperial Guard has only 50,000 troops, many of whom harbor resentment towards the Seventh Prince. If you send troops now, once the siege of Jinzhou is lifted, you can march into the capital in one fell swoop to punish the traitor. At that time, you will be a meritorious official who has helped the Crown Prince in his time of need. Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, not to mention the Grand General, even a king of a different surname ruling over three prefectures will be no problem! What glory will the two kings of the Qin family of Jizhou have then!”
Such persuasion through reason and enticement is something Qiu Min would never have said.
Qin Lie, intrigued, sat down on a chair and asked leisurely, "Who taught you all this?"
Lingyi obediently knelt on his lap, asking expectantly, "General, would you agree?"
Qin Lie stroked her smooth, cool black hair, his tone indifferent: "How can we, as ministers, interfere in the struggle for the throne? You, a princess who has been married off to a distant place, need not worry too much. No matter who becomes the crown prince, you will always be a princess. I will treat you as always, and there will be no change."
Lingyi said, "But the Seventh Prince is cruel and tyrannical, and has raised an army to rebel. He is a traitor and a rebel. The Crown Prince is the rightful heir!"
"Traitors and rebels?" Qin Lie was quite dismissive. "Since ancient times, the victor is king and the loser is villain. Only the loser is a traitor or rebel. What right do you have to speak of legitimacy?"
"General!" Lingyi said displeasedly, shaking his hand slightly. "Serving the country and gaining merit by following the emperor is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Why doesn't the general accept it? If you cannot make your own decision, why not go to the Prince's residence and discuss it with the Prince of Dingbei before making any plans?"
Remembering her third sister's words, she suppressed her embarrassment, stood up, hugged his neck, and whispered sweetly in his ear, "Just do it for me, how about going to save my Crown Prince brother?"
If a woman is a wife, she should be a good wife and mother and manage the household well; if she is a concubine, she should be charming and clever to please the man.
Whether it is a wife, concubine, or someone else, one should be well-behaved and never take advantage of favor to use one's mind for other things, or even try to control a man.
Lingyi's actions violated Qin Lie's taboo. He pulled her away slightly, intending to reprimand her, when he suddenly saw a figure reflected in the window paper. It should have been Zhao Mama's figure, but it did not resemble her original slightly hunched posture at all.
He suddenly grabbed the teacup beside him and threw it. The teacup pierced through the wooden door frame and hit Zhao Mama straight on the shoulder. Zhao Mama staggered forward a few steps and let out a cry of pain.
The cry of pain came from a young person, and was not Zhao Mama's voice at all.
Xie San Niang turned to leave after being exposed, but Qin Lie wouldn't give her the chance. He threw another teacup, which hit her on the back. Xie San Niang immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and almost collapsed to the ground.
"Third Sister!" Lingyi exclaimed, quickly hugging Qin Lie tightly as he tried to stand up.
Taking advantage of this brief opportunity, Xie Sanniang managed to escape and staggered onto the roof.
The commotion alerted the guards outside the courtyard, and soon shouts and footsteps filled the air.
Lingyi watched the commotion outside with concern, fearing that Xie Sanniang had been captured.
Qin Lie felt a burning desire in his chest and sneered, "Princess, don't worry. The Third Sister of the Xie family is skilled in lightness skills and disguise. These useless people in your manor can't catch her at all."
Before Lingyi could even catch her breath, he spoke again, his voice cold and sharp like frost on a millennia-old iceberg: "So it was her. I should have known!" He drew the short sword from Lingyi's waist. "The princess left her here, and she carries a sharp blade. If I do not comply today, will you take my life?"
Lingyi had never thought of these things before, and hurriedly stammered an explanation: "I, she... Third Sister didn't mean any harm. She was just afraid that I was useless and couldn't persuade you, so she was here waiting for an opportunity to give me some pointers... As for that dagger, Third Sister said that she..." She said awkwardly, "She said that if you refused to agree to send troops, I would have to threaten to kill myself before I... I would put it on my person."
Qin Lie hated being threatened more than anything in his life, especially by the person in front of him.
She not only tried to blackmail him, but also colluded with Xie family spies; either of these actions was tantamount to tearing at his sore spot.
The fire in his chest burned ever brighter, impossible to quell or extinguish; he only wanted to see her heartbroken and in pain, only then could he find relief.
"Using suicide as leverage... Xie San Niang is one thing, but after all this time, does the princess still not see through her own identity?" Qin Lie said as if he had heard a joke. "She's just a plaything to be manipulated and can't be seen by others, yet she dares to try and play this suicide trick with me?"
Lingyi froze, looking at him in disbelief.
Qin Lie sneered: "What? You don't believe me when I say you're shameful? Princess, think about it: since you came to Jizhou, has anyone dared to associate with you? Has any official's wife come to visit you? Apart from your few personal servants who have to follow you, has anyone outside said a word to you? Oh, right, none of your servants are loyal either. Otherwise, how could you not hear a word of what's going on outside? I don't even need to inform them; they know who to pledge allegiance to. You've truly failed miserably as a princess!"
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