Chapter Seventy-Two: Brotherly Love
The emperor rode in a palanquin to the Hall of Diligent Governance, where he usually handled government affairs. Prime Minister Shen was already waiting outside the door, along with Lin Zongyi, a censor, and Cai Situi, a secretary of the Imperial Secretariat.
Upon seeing the emperor alight from his carriage, the three men hurriedly came forward to greet him.
After the greetings were completed, the group entered the Hall of Diligent Governance, where the emperor took his seat.
Shen Xiang took out a memorial from his robes and handed it over, saying, "Your Majesty, the Prefect of Qingyuan urgently reports that there is internal strife in Jiaozhi (ancient Vietnam). King Li Guangda died suddenly, and since he had no children and had not appointed an heir, his nephew Li Yunshao and his brother-in-law Gao Fuying have both declared themselves kings, and the war continues. To escape the war, the people of Jiaozhi have crossed the border and flooded into our Celestial Empire. In just five counties, including Qiuwen, Longshui, and Pingxiang, there are more than 100,000 refugees, causing great hardship and making people's lives unbearable. Therefore, I am submitting this memorial for Your Majesty's decision."
The eunuch stepped forward, took the memorial, and handed it to the emperor.
He unfolded it, glanced through it briefly, and after a moment's thought, asked, "What does Shen Qing think?"
"Is Your Majesty asking about the refugees or the internal strife in Jiaozhi? If it's about the refugees, it's not difficult; we can simply allocate land for their resettlement and keep them under strict supervision. But if it's about the internal strife in Jiaozhi, that's a serious matter and cannot be taken lightly."
Cai Situi asked in bewilderment, "Jiaozhi is just in the midst of internal strife. Once the strife is over, they will naturally submit a petition to request investiture. Why is this such a big deal?"
"What Lin Shizhong said is incorrect," Shen Xiang said solemnly. "Since the Han and Tang dynasties, Jiaozhi has been a vassal state of the Celestial Empire. Later, taking advantage of the fact that the Ten Kingdoms of the Central Plains were divided and embroiled in war, leaving them no time to attend to other matters, they became independent. Emperor Taizong conquered the Southern Tang, pacified the Later Shu, and defeated the Khitan, unifying the world. The Li family of Jiaozhi was terrified and submitted a petition requesting to be granted fiefdom status, wishing to become a vassal state. At that time, our dynasty's wars had just ended, and the people's livelihood was difficult. Emperor Taizong, out of compassion for the people, did not want to start another war, so he granted their request. Since they were a vassal state, and King Li Guangda died suddenly without establishing an heir, the state of Jiaozhi should have submitted a petition to Your Majesty for a decision, instead of resorting to force to seize the throne. This action is clearly a case of feigned compliance, outwardly acknowledging our Celestial Empire as the superior state, but in reality being arrogant and disdainful of others."
Cai Situi suddenly realized the truth and nodded, saying, "What Prime Minister Shen said is absolutely right. I am ashamed."
The emperor then asked, "Does Minister Shen have a solution?"
"I believe this trend should not be allowed to continue. Our Celestial Empire should send envoys to Jiaozhi to issue an edict rebuking them as a warning to others. Otherwise, it will not be enough to deter barbarian tribes."
The emperor frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "Shen Qing, this response is flawed. If Jiaozhi ignores us, wouldn't that damage the prestige of our Great Zhou? If Jiaozhi agrees to cease hostilities and lets me decide the successor, I know nothing about Jiaozhi's internal affairs or the will of its people. Whom should I appoint as the heir?"
"Your Majesty is wise; my considerations were inadequate." After a pause, Chancellor Shen continued, "According to Your Majesty's suggestion, we can first have the Prefect of Xuanyuan send someone deep into Jiaozhi to conduct a thorough investigation and select a virtuous and benevolent member from among the Li clan's descendants to be established as the heir apparent. Furthermore, we should mobilize troops from the surrounding prefectures and counties to garrison the border, demonstrating that the Emperor's authority is inviolable. Then, we can send envoys to Jiaozhi to issue an edict rebuking them. What does Your Majesty think?"
The emperor clapped his hands and said, "Only then is it thorough. Minister Shen, discuss the details with the other ministers, and we will hear their opinions at the morning court tomorrow."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After the three ministers left, the emperor carefully reviewed the memorial again, summoned an imperial edict, and drafted a secret edict for the prefect of Xuanyuan. He then completely forgot about the chess game and even forgot to send a eunuch to inform the emperor.
Half an hour later, a voice came from outside: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Jin has arrived."
The emperor quickly put down the memorial, his face showing delight, and said, "Quickly, let him in."
A moment later, the Prince of Jin strode in, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
The emperor looked at him closely for a while, then smiled and said, "What's wrong? Is your mother talking about your marriage again?"
Prince Jin nodded, and a eunuch brought him tea, which he accepted and drank casually.
"They are all ladies from respectable families, with both beauty and virtue. Are you still not satisfied? Do you want to find a celestial beauty?"
The Prince of Jin remained silent, simply sipping his tea.
The emperor walked over, snatched the teacup from his hand, and said, "When we were kids, you used to tell me everything. How come after seven years in the Northwest, you've become a mute?"
"It's because we said everything back then that we have nothing to say now."
The emperor, of course, did not believe his sophistry and said, "I know that if I build the Flower Calyx Tower, you will naturally be able to talk to me about anything."
The Prince of Jin was startled and turned to look at him.
Seven years ago, he left the capital for the Northwest. On his last night, he had a long talk with the emperor, and they talked about Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and the Hua'e Tower. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang succeeded to the throne as the third son of the emperor. He was very friendly with his five brothers and built the Hua'e Tower in the inner palace and the residences of the five princes. He used it to gather with the princes, discuss the classics, drink wine and compose poems, and laugh and joke without any suspicion.
"You needn't be surprised, I've always kept those words in mind." After a pause, the emperor said sadly, "You've been back from the Northwest for almost half a year now, and I've always wanted to tell you that it's not that I didn't want to build the Flower Calyx Tower, but this tower isn't something I could build alone. Fortunately, although the Flower Calyx Tower doesn't exist now, there is still the Yao Guang Tower." Yao Guang is the name of a constellation, one of the seven stars of the Big Dipper, actually a pair of stars, one bright and one dim.
The Prince of Jin was moved, and it took him a long time to calm his turbulent emotions before he said, "Third Brother, I didn't know about your hardships..."
Before he could finish speaking, the emperor understood and patted him heavily on the shoulder, saying, "The newly presented rose dew is quite good. Let's find a place to drink it to our hearts' content."
"Alright, the weather is nice today, why don't we go to the Imperial Garden?"
"Oh dear." The emperor suddenly remembered the Purple Ying Immortal in the Pillow Dream Pavilion. "I forgot, the Purple Ying Immortal is still waiting for me to play chess in the Pillow Dream Pavilion. Sixth Brother, why don't you come with me? It's not too late to drink after we finish playing chess."
Prince Jin's heart pounded, but he didn't show it on his face and said, "Very well." He already knew that Master Ziying had brought Ruan Bi to the palace today. He had stayed in the palace for half a day and listened to the Empress Dowager talk about the marriage for a long time, but he hadn't found a chance to meet her.
The two immediately led a group of eunuchs to the Pillow Dream Pavilion in the Imperial Garden.
"Sixth Brother, I heard you spend all your time in the Imperial Guard camp, sometimes even practicing martial arts and formations with the soldiers. Is that true?"
"Third Brother, you've known me for a long time. I've loved hanging out with soldiers and guards since I was a child."
The emperor smiled and said, "Of course I remember. When you were seven years old, you commanded a group of guards to fight and charge into battle. Your father pointed at you and said, 'You were born to be a general.'" He paused and said, "But you're getting older now, so you should also think about the saying, 'Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants.'"
"Third Brother, I understand."
"Since you understand, why did you give six of the eight beauties I gave you last time to your subordinates?"
“Those subordinates have been with me in the Northwest for seven years. They’re all in their thirties and still all alone. Third Brother couldn’t bear to part with them, so I went to ask them for them back.”
The last sentence was clearly a joke, which the emperor naturally understood. He laughed and said, "Why would you send them all back? The women in the harem are all there. A few days ago, Goryeo sent another batch of beauties. Go and take a look. If you like any of them, I'll have them delivered to your residence."
Upon hearing the word "like," the image of Ruan Bi flashed before Prince Jin's eyes. Now, he was deeply in love with her and found other women quite boring. He said, "Thank you, Third Brother, but I am tired of having too many women in the palace. Everywhere I go, there is the smell of cosmetics, and they love to fight and cause trouble, turning a perfectly good palace into a mess."
The Emperor shook his head and said, "Indeed, no woman's beauty is more alluring than jealousy, but how many women are truly without jealousy? As long as they don't go too far, let them be. Speaking of which, you're not young anymore. Your mother has been anxious about your marriage these past few days, searching through all the noble ladies in the country, trying to choose a unique woman for you." He paused, then joked, "Even when I was choosing my concubines, I didn't go to such lengths. It shows how biased your mother is."
He originally thought that even if the Prince of Jin was not grateful after hearing these words, he would understand the Empress Dowager's good intentions. However, he did not expect that a trace of melancholy would flash between his brows. With a thought, he asked, "Sixth brother, tell me, is there someone you like in your heart?"
The Prince of Jin paused slightly and said, "There is a woman."
"Which family's daughter is she? Tell me quickly, and I'll make the decision for you." The emperor was quite excited. He thought of his sixth brother, who was so handsome that when he was fourteen or fifteen, palace maids would offer themselves to him, but he remained unmoved. He spent his days practicing martial arts. Later, when he got older, he naturally had concubines, but he had never been heard to care about anyone.
After hesitating for a long time, the Prince of Jin said, "She comes from a poor background."
"If two people are in love, what does it matter what their background is..." The emperor suddenly realized the implication in his words and paused, "Does that mean you want to marry her as the Princess Consort of Jin?"
"Third Brother, that's exactly what I mean."
The emperor's face hardened, and he said, "How can that be? You are of royal lineage, so your princess must naturally come from a noble family to be worthy of you and to avoid disgracing the royal family..."
Although he was somewhat prepared, hearing these words still felt like a blow to the head, leaving him extremely depressed.
"...Even if you like her very much, you cannot violate the principles of morality and righteousness. Who is this young lady? I will issue an edict to make her your concubine." After the emperor finished speaking, he saw that Prince Jin's eyebrows were drooping, and he was very unwilling. Suddenly, he thought of his own past and his heart softened. He added, "Don't think it's just you, even I can't do whatever I want. As members of the imperial family, since we enjoy this glory, we must also bear this responsibility."
As they spoke, they entered the Imperial Garden, turned past the maple grove, and the Pillow Dream Pavilion came into view.
Walking over, I saw Master Ziying sitting alone, but Ruan Bi was nowhere to be seen.
The emperor was slightly taken aback and asked, "Master, where is your disciple?"
"The Empress just asked her to come over for a talk." After saying this, Master Ziying bowed to Prince Jin and said, "Amitabha, it's been a long time, Prince Jin."
Prince Jin was somewhat disappointed to see that Ruan Bi was not there. He nodded slightly in return. He said to the emperor, "Third brother, you and the master play chess first. I'll wander around for a while and come back to find you for a drink later."
The emperor nodded.
Prince Jin walked toward the Dream Pavilion, and subconsciously headed toward the Kun'an Gate.
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