Chapter 212: Heart to Heart
"Your Highness, Lord Su has arrived." The housekeeper of Prince Rong's Mansion said in a low voice, his eyes and face full of worry. It was no wonder that he was like this. Prince Rong's Mansion seemed to be prosperous, but in fact there was no heir, only a peaceful monarch.
Prince Rong's health had been poor to begin with, and it had become even worse after he had a serious illness a few years ago. This time, he had been working so hard to depose the crown prince that he couldn't even get a good night's sleep in the palace. After the matter of deposing the crown prince was decided, he collapsed before he even left the palace, and had to be sent back to the palace by the guards.
After a lot of trouble, the first thing Prince Rong did when he woke up was not to see the princess and the county lord, but to ask someone to invite Su Fengzhang over.
Fortunately, the emperor was thoughtful and the mansion he bestowed on Su Fengzhang was very close to the two royal palaces, otherwise it would not be easy to invite someone over at this time.
Su Fengzhang walked into the house, feeling very puzzled. His relationship with Prince Rong was neither distant nor close. To say that they had some connection would be too shallow, but to say that they had no friendship would also be wrong.
But no matter what, the first thing Prince Rong should do after leaving the harem is not to see him.
As soon as he entered the house, Su Fengzhang smelled the smell of medicine all over the room, so much so that he couldn't help but recall the scene before Mrs. Liu died, and he couldn't help but frown.
Prince Rong was half lying on the bed, covered with a thick brocade quilt. Although his face was a little pale, he seemed to be in good spirits. After all, he was receiving treatment from the imperial physician and nourished by countless precious medicinal herbs.
Seeing him come in, Prince Rong smiled, and there was a bit of the shadow of the former businessman Wang Huan in him.
"Master Su is here?"
After Su Fengzhang bowed respectfully, he asked, "I wonder what important matter has the prince summoned me so late at night?"
Prince Rong pointed to the chair in front of the bed and motioned him to sit down, then said: "I don't have anything to do, I just came out of the harem and couldn't help but want to find someone to chat with."
Su Fengzhang raised his eyebrows, not entirely believing what he said.
Prince Rong laughed, looked up at him and asked, "Master Su, I'm sure you don't believe this."
"It's alright if you don't believe me. The Crown Prince has been deposed, but I'm not entirely happy about this. I have so much to say, but no one to talk to. That's why I thought of Lord Su."
After a moment of silence, Prince Rong added, "Others may not understand these words, but I'm sure Lord Su will understand them."
This was too much of an overestimation of him. Su Fengzhang looked at Prince Rong and said, "Your Highness is so kind. If you don't mind my humble opinion, I will naturally listen to you."
Prince Rong sighed slightly and said, "The Crown Prince is arrogant and domineering, and he is not very respectful to me, his uncle. Over the years, I have not liked him and even feel disgusted with him."
"But today, seeing him fall from the sky to the dust, I suddenly felt a sense of emotion. This scene is so similar to the past. The royal struggles continue one after another, and there is no telling when it will end."
Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "The struggle for power has always been like this, and it won't change even after a thousand or hundred years."
"Yes, even money can move people's hearts, let alone the throne of the emperor." Prince Rong laughed at himself.
However, Su Fengzhang felt that the prince's sadness over the passing of autumn and the passing of spring was totally unnecessary. As Prince Rong, the emperor's most trusted brother, Su Fengzhang did not believe that Prince Rong had no hand in the incident of deposing the crown prince.
Prince Rong simply sighed and added, "This prince does not sympathize with the Crown Prince. His current situation is your own fault. You will have to bear the consequences of your own actions."
"I don't know why, but when I heard him crying and refusing to listen, I couldn't help but think of the past."
"Lord Su, do you know that when I was young, I had two close friends, friends for life and death?"
Su Fengzhang didn't know why he brought up this matter, but if he remembered correctly, Prince Rong had a bad reputation in the capital. He was a notorious scoundrel who never gave face to anyone.
When he first entered the capital, someone had reminded him to be careful of four people, two of whom were from Prince Rong's Mansion, a prince and a princess. Now there is another prince's son-in-law. It is a strange thing that three of the four members of a family can make the list.
Prince Rong saw his expression and knew what he was thinking. He couldn't help laughing, "When I was young, I wasn't this reckless."
"Master Su, you have met Yun Qian, the Yunsi Lord. What do you think of Yun Qian?"
Su Fengzhang had only met Yun Qian twice in private, but each time left a deep impression on him. Lord Yun Qian seemed to have always been in poor health, but no one could look down on him when he stood there.
Su Fengzhang pondered for a moment and replied, "A rare talent, shrewd and capable, impartial and unfathomable..."
It was unknown which word struck a chord with Prince Rong, who burst into laughter until tears welled up in his eyes. He then took a deep breath and said, "Then you know, back then Yun Qian wholeheartedly wanted to serve the people. Back then, he would never have imagined that one day he would enter the Dali Temple and become a knife in the hands of His Majesty."
Su Fengzhang's eyelids twitched. No one could refute Yun Qian's cleverness and ability, but to say that he was a parent of the people was too far-fetched. After all, everything he did was in line with the emperor's wishes, so much so that many people secretly called him a lackey.
"You didn't expect it, did you? Who could have imagined this day would come twenty years ago?"
Prince Rong recalled the past, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "Back then, I, Yun Qian, and Fang Mingsi were friends for life and death, sharing the same aspirations."
"Fang Mingsi is the eldest, I am the second, and Yunqian is the youngest. The three of us grew up together. If it weren't for the restrictions of our royal status, we would have been eager to swear brotherhood in Peach Garden."
Fang Mingsi? Su Fengzhang felt that the name was extremely familiar. After thinking about it for a while, he suddenly remembered that this was the biological father of Fang Yu and the Jade Concubine in the palace, who had died many years ago.
"The autumn wind rustles the wine flags on the roadsides, while stringed instruments vie for attention by the river. Just as the seas are at peace and the rivers are clear, it is time to cultivate civility and lay aside military power. Embroidered wheels are all companions for pleasure, and erotic songs are all poems of peace. I, your humble servant, am honored to be bestowed with the calendar of Yao, and a glance at the suburban plains brings me joy."
"Back then, the three of us were young and full of fighting spirit. We thought we could bring peace and prosperity to the Great Zhou Dynasty with our own strength. Now when I think about it, I feel that we were so naive."
"Lord Su, do you know what we did at that time?" Prince Rong suddenly asked.
The more Su Fengzhang listened, the more alert he became. After a pause, he replied, "Help the dragon?"
Prince Rong laughed heartily: "That's exactly it! What could be faster and more expeditious than this to achieve the goal?"
"I am the late emperor's youngest son. The Fang and Yun families are both prominent families. It was with our unwavering support that His Majesty was able to ascend the throne smoothly."
"Who could have predicted that this would be the single most wrong decision I have ever made in my life."
"Your Majesty is soft-hearted and soft-hearted. He was soft on the three of us and even softer on Empress Yuan. When he was the Crown Prince, he was tolerant, but as the Emperor, it became a weakness."
"His Majesty only wants to see everyone live in harmony. If two people disagree, he will lean towards the one who is closer to him. He will protect the one he likes, regardless of right or wrong."
These were already words of resentment from the emperor. Su Fengzhang looked at Prince Rong and wondered why he was like this.
Prince Rong asked again, "Lord Su, do you also feel that His Majesty is very indulgent and obedient to me?"
Before Su Fengzhang could answer, he laughed at himself and said, "Then you know, all this is just because our Majesty feels guilty and ashamed when he sees me. That's why I have to stay away from the capital all these years. lest he see me too many times and feel ashamed, and then he just takes over my entire Prince Rong's Mansion!"
"At that time, the three of us were too naive. We thought we were only facing court officials. Who could have imagined that in the end, it was just a few pillow talk that would make the coup vanish into thin air and fail at the last moment."
Su Fengzhang's heart beat faster, and he suddenly realized that this matter had been completely covered up, something he had only vaguely found after reading countless records in the Hanlin Academy.
The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895! A coup d'état led by Fang Mingsi, then a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy, in response to the current ills of the imperial court.
This coup took less than a month from start to finish, and ended with Fang Mingsi's death and the downfall of the Fang family. It didn't even spread beyond the capital, and very few people knew about it.
Prince Rong laughed heartily. "There are three of us. One is His Majesty's younger brother, one is his study partner, and one is his most trusted friend. And yet, all three of us combined are not as good as a woman!"
Prince Rong said this with gnashing teeth, which shows his hatred for Empress Yuan and the Emperor.
But soon, he collapsed and shook his head, saying, "No, that's not right. We didn't lose to a woman, we lost to ourselves. From the beginning, we were too naive. More haste makes waste. We should understand this principle."
Su Fengzhang stared at the prince, whose emotions were fluctuating wildly, and finally asked, "Your Majesty, you are not talking to me about this just to find someone to talk to, right?"
Prince Rong looked at him and said, "Of course not. I see in you the same aspirations that the three of us had back then."
Su Fengzhang didn't know what had misled this prince, giving him this illusion. "Your Highness, all I want is for my family to live in peace and security. I don't have any great ambitions."
"You do, and you are more steady than we were back then." Prince Rong said.
Su Fengzhang raised his eyebrows slightly, and Prince Rong continued, "If you didn't do that before, you might as well think about it more in the future."
Su Fengzhang felt bitter in his mouth and couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, what exactly is it about this humble official that caught your eye?"
Prince Rong smiled and said, "When I first saw you in prison, I knew you were no ordinary person. Over the years, I've seen that it's true. You've been able to rise to the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue step by step on your own, yet you've still maintained your original aspirations. This is particularly rare."
Su Fengzhang had no choice but to continue, "Your Highness, I am also wronged for the peace and prosperity of the world. However, my position is low and my words are insignificant. I really cannot disturb the overall situation."
Prince Rong said, "I will help you."
Su Fengzhang shook his head and said, "But I don't want to get involved."
Prince Rong smiled, pointed at him and said, "You and Lao Wu are almost the same. Isn't it too late to say this now, Su Fengzhang? Do you think you can still escape?"
Su Fengzhang said, "These are two completely different things."
Prince Rong's face darkened, and he asked, "When you took the provincial examination, did you have the ambition to change the world?"
Su Fengzhang sighed and said, "Only after arriving in the capital did I realize that I am just a frog in a well."
After hearing this, Prince Rong suddenly looked at him and said, "No, you have this ambition, but you just don't trust me and don't want to cooperate with me."
Su Fengzhang really didn't believe him. In fact, he didn't think he could create a peaceful and prosperous Great Zhou. He still understood the principle that when the water is too clear, there will be no fish.
In his opinion, Prince Rong's ambition was a bit too idealistic. The failure of the coup was not only due to the participation of Empress Yuan, but also due to the opposition of all the civil and military officials in the court. It was obviously impossible to accomplish it with just the three of them.
Moreover, the Empress Yuan's family has been declining over the years, and this must be the work of Prince Rong and Yun Qian. These two are obviously not so innocent people, so there is no need for them to stand on the moral high ground.
Prince Rong's eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly said, "Lord Su, I can tell you something first. Over the years, Yun Qian and I have never forgotten our original ambitions."
Su Fengzhang suddenly thought of something and looked at Prince Rong and asked, "Your Highness, you and Lord Yun support Prince Cheng. Aren't you afraid that what happened back then will happen again?"
Prince Rong did not shy away from his gaze and said, "It is precisely because of this fear that we need Lord Su to inherit this ambition."
Su Fengzhang raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he had completely understood his thoughts. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your Highness, you have misunderstood."
Prince Rong shook his head and said, "I didn't misunderstand anything."
"I have only one daughter, Jing and Prince Cheng, who have been good friends since childhood. I'm not worried about her suffering in the future, but my health is declining day by day, and I have no one I can trust or rely on."
"I heard that Lord Su loves his sister very much, even more than his brother. I believe he can understand my painstaking efforts."
Without waiting for Su Fengzhang to answer again, Prince Rong continued, "Master Su, there is no need to rush to answer. It is better to go back and think carefully. The emperor's heart is unpredictable. It is best to protect yourself, isn't it?"
Su Fengzhang had no choice but to say goodbye and leave.
Prince Rong looked at his back, and suddenly a person walked out from behind the bed. It was Yun Qian.
His expression was even worse than Prince Rong's. He frowned and asked, "Why do you have your eye on him? He's not the only one who is exceptionally talented, shrewd, and capable."
Prince Rong laughed and said, "You don't understand. Wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and humbleness cannot move, and might and power cannot bend. This is what is called a great man."
Yun Qian asked in return, "Your evaluation of him is quite high."
Prince Rong's eyes dimmed, and he said, "It's not easy for him to have maintained his original intention all the way."
"Only with such a person can this king be at ease."
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The author has something to say: I wish everyone a happy Chinese Valentine's Day!
I was planning to give out candies but later realized there were no candies left hahahaha~
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