Chapter 1 Pine Tree Embracing Snow (Part 1) "Since she entered the Eastern Palace, it has actually been..."
The blue-roofed, red-lacquered sedan chair passed through the Huiji Gate, proceeding swiftly yet steadily towards the Meridian Gate. Crown Prince Yan Chao sat regally within the chair, sleeves folded, hands clasped, her expression solemn and composed. The faint sound of wind and snow drifted in from outside; she focused her mind, patiently calming her breathing.
A short while later, a eunuch returned and reported: "Your Highness, Governor Lan has brought Lord Shen to the Meridian Gate and is ordering him to be flogged."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a noisy commotion arose from not far away.
The prince lifted the corner of the curtain and saw that the sedan chair had already left through the right-side door. He then called for a stop and stepped out of the sedan chair.
Looking in the direction of the sound, a eunuch was kicking Shen Wei hard in the back, whose arms were tied behind his back. The black boot was hard, and Shen Wei immediately felt pain. His body went limp and he fell to the ground. But before he could fall, the person in front of him grabbed him by the back of his collar and forced him to kneel.
“Lord Shen,” the man casually brushed the snow off his back, his eyes slightly raised, a forced smile on his face, “you are so young, and a member of the Hanlin Academy. Why give up such a promising future and insist on getting involved with those gold and silver? Physical pain is nothing, but you have disgraced all scholars in the world.”
Shen Wei, enduring the pain, raised his head and spat through gritted teeth: "That eunuch will surely die a horrible death!"
A sudden, extremely sharp shout interrupted the command.
The arrogant man at the head seemed to freeze for a moment, then quickly composed himself and turned around.
A few steps away, the young crown prince was staring at him coldly with a scrutinizing, even piercing, gaze. Amidst the swirling snowflakes, the crown prince, dressed in an indigo round-necked casual robe and draped with a black fox fur cloak, stood under the umbrella, his somber demeanor perfectly fitting the occasion.
He was a little slower than the others, but he still knelt down and paid his respects.
The prince, standing high above, could not clearly see the person's face through the wind and snow.
The man wore a long, bright red robe with a python pattern, a jade belt bestowed by the emperor at his waist, and a gold-inlaid three-peaked hat, all of which indicated his high status and the great favor he received.
The Emperor's health had been unstable for nearly a month. While appointing the Crown Prince to oversee the state, the Emperor also ordered the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Grand Secretariat to jointly assist in governing. However, the Emperor summoned his most frequent patron, the powerful eunuch Lan Huai'en. As the Director of the Eastern Depot and concurrently the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Lan Huai'en held immense power and influence.
The Crown Prince did not allow Lan Huaien to rise. He took two steps forward and questioned her directly: "Shen Wei is the Junior Chamberlain of the Eastern Palace. May I ask whose orders the Director of the Imperial Household Department ordered to arrest him, and what crime he was charged with? Why was this not reported to me?"
She took the person away without a word, stripped him of his clothes and carried him out in the freezing cold. From beginning to end, the Crown Prince, who was in charge of the country, had not heard a word of it beforehand.
The Eastern Depot has always acted arrogantly and recklessly, without considering the consequences. In the past, when it rashly intervened in the factional struggles of the court, it was forced to navigate the difficult situation between the emperor and the court officials. That was to be expected, but this time, it actually targeted Shen Wei, who was right beside her.
The Crown Prince's eyes grew colder, and before Lan Huaien could reply, he ordered someone to help Chen Wei up.
His official robes had been torn open, leaving him disheveled and quite embarrassed. He was a frail scholar with a thin frame, and after being kicked by a strong eunuch, he couldn't even stand up. He had to be helped to his feet by a palace attendant, his face as pale as paper.
"Send Shen Shaozhan back to the Eastern Palace."
The eunuch replied. Shen Wei raised his head slightly, instinctively about to decline, but was stopped by a look from the Crown Prince, so he had no choice but to give up and leave with the eunuch.
Lan Huaien remained obsequious until the person left before replying: "If Your Highness comes to question me, I need to explain. Someone in the court has submitted a memorial stating that there are still lingering cases related to Bai Cunzhang's embezzlement, and requested an imperial decree to investigate, which His Majesty granted. The Eastern Depot has found that Lord Shen is indeed involved."
"Involved? Is the evidence conclusive?" The Crown Prince frowned, walked to his side, and said in a cold tone, "His Majesty entrusted me with the investigation of the Bai Cunzhang case. Now that we are pursuing the remaining associates, who gave you permission to make such a decision on your own? Did His Majesty report the officials who were flogged in court?"
Lan Huaien only brought three eunuchs with him, but usually the Imperial Guards were present when he was flogged in court, so this situation was obviously abnormal.
The Crown Prince glanced at the kneeling men and couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Lan Huai'en dared to make such a blatant move; he must have come prepared. But she couldn't stand his reckless behavior.
If Shen Wei were to receive this caning today, it would be even more difficult to explain himself in the future. As for Lan Huai'en, who was always by the emperor's side, he would at most receive a reprimand; the emperor had always been all bark and no bite towards him.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has issued an edict that anyone involved in this case who is not clean-cut and is suspected of colluding with others in this crime shall be first flogged twenty times before being interrogated, as a warning."
What a fine example of "being complicit in wrongdoing".
The emperor wanted to exterminate the Bai faction, which conveniently allowed Lan Huai'en to use this opportunity to eliminate dissidents with impunity, becoming increasingly lawless.
"So, this is your reason for arbitrarily accusing someone? If I were to conclude that you, Lan Huaien, have slandered and framed a court official, could I also act first and report later?"
Lan Huaien narrowed his eyes slightly and said respectfully, "Your subject dares not disobey Your Highness."
The Crown Prince had been having a lot of bad luck lately and was feeling frustrated with himself. When he heard the clear provocation in Lan Huaien's words, a surge of anger immediately ignited in his heart. Unable to contain himself any longer, he immediately ordered someone to fetch the cane and raised it to strike.
The eunuch standing nearby was so shocked that he dropped his umbrella and rushed forward to stop him, repeatedly advising, "Your Highness, please calm down! He is, after all, the Grand Chancellor. If you strike him today, His Majesty will likely blame you!"
The cold snowflakes rustled against her skin, instantly waking her halfway, though the chill in her eyes remained undiminished. The Crown Prince pursed his lips, put down his staff, stared at Lan Huai'en for a long while, before turning away in a huff.
When Lan Huaien looked up, the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen. Following the footprints in the snow, all he could see was a vast expanse of white.
He suddenly recalled the glimpse of her face he had inadvertently caught earlier. Her eyes were as cold and aloof as he had expected. If her gaze could turn into a sharp blade, he would probably be riddled with holes by now.
He pursed his lips and shook his head indifferently. There was still a long road ahead; who knew what might happen? He wasn't in a hurry to find a way out through the Crown Prince.
"Lord Supervisor, what about today..."
“Since the Crown Prince intends to protect the people of the Eastern Palace, I naturally cannot go too far. Let's stop here.” Lan Huaien blew on his hand and muttered to himself, “It’s a real pity we didn’t get to fight…”
It's unclear whether he meant to hit Shen Wei, or the Crown Prince meant to hit him.
.
Heavy snow has caused the suspension of lectures at the Eastern Palace in Wenhua Hall these past few days, but Yan Chao has not been able to find a moment of rest. When the Emperor first fell ill, the court officials repeatedly advised him to temporarily hand over the power of overseeing the country to the Crown Prince. Although the Emperor eventually agreed, he still privately entrusted everything to the Directorate of Ceremonial, which led to Lan Huai'en becoming increasingly arrogant during this period.
However, aside from the Emperor's personal decisions on military matters, she also had many basic administrative duties to handle. Today, having a brief respite, Shenwei encountered this predicament.
Upon returning to the East Palace, a eunuch reported that Shenwei was unharmed, which relieved Yan Chao somewhat. Shortly after, Shenwei entered the warm pavilion to pay his respects and express his gratitude.
"I was indeed caught off guard today, and I must thank Your Highness for saving me. Otherwise, I don't know what awaited me after this beating." Shen Wei's fear had just subsided, and he unconsciously gripped the hot tea in his hands, his fingertips still a little cold.
Yan Chao straightened his sleeves, looked up and asked him, "When the people from the Eastern Depot broke in, didn't any other officials see it?"
"At that moment, Chamberlain He happened to be out, and it was Eunuch Cheng who led the men in, proclaiming an imperial edict. Naturally, no one dared to stop them. The two clerks had never seen such a grand spectacle before, and they couldn't even hold onto the documents properly..."
He remained relatively calm at the time, thinking that he was innocent and no one would dare to do anything to him, and that he would be fine once he cleared his name.
Unexpectedly, Lan Huaien had no intention of handling the matter carefully at all.
Yan Chao frowned. Cheng Tai was a henchman of the Eastern Depot, but to Yan Chao's surprise, Lan Huai'en didn't even put the Embroidered Uniform Guard in his eyes this time.
She sighed softly, "Tanze, I remember you didn't have much interaction with Lan Huaien. What did you do to offend him so much that he hates you so much and targets you like this?"
"A real beating" is a matter of life and death, entirely up to the executioner's whim.
"I am also completely baffled. Before he openly framed me, he made me suffer the injustice of being flogged in court first. If there really is some personal grudge..." Shen Wei lowered his head and pondered, "it seems that there is no personal grudge at all."
Yan Chao remained silent. Judging from his earlier insults towards Lan Huaien, he probably had offended her without realizing it. Shen Wei was not usually a person who spoke without restraint; however, having just graduated from the Hanlin Academy, he possessed a scholar's inherent vigor and uprightness.
Many people viewed Lan Huaien as a treacherous eunuch. Although Shen Wei was inconspicuous, if he were truly targeted by Lan Huaien, it was not impossible for him to seek revenge. Lan Huaien was petty and vindictive, and many people had suffered at his hands.
Shen Wei suddenly looked up, a hint of unease on his face: "This time, Your Highness offended Lan Huai'en for my sake. If he says anything in front of the Emperor..."
"No matter how disliked I am by His Majesty, I am still the Crown Prince; no matter how capable he is, he is ultimately just a eunuch, like a rootless duckweed, whose rise and fall are uncertain. There is still a long way to go, and it is not certain who will offend whom."
She lowered her eyelids, and Lan Huaien's image involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
He was exceptionally handsome, with skin as white as jade and a face like a peach blossom, exuding a refined and gentle air. Even when dressed in the solemn and mature attire of a python robe, he did not appear out of place at all; on the contrary, it added to his heroic spirit.
And that voice of hers, so soft and natural, unlike the shrill and harsh voice of the palace eunuchs.
Thinking of this, I felt a surge of disgust and disdain. What good is a beautiful appearance if it's all just a facade?
Seeing Shen Wei's expression, Yan Chao couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Don't worry, I haven't let my guard down."
He nodded slightly in agreement.
Yan Chaowei raised his head and saw a painting called "Ten Thousand Valleys and Pine Wind" hanging on the wall. The painting was painted with thick ink and dark blue, creating a light and secluded atmosphere. The rocks were depicted with bold, axe-cut strokes, with floating mist and warm greenery above and ten thousand valleys and strong pines below. The peaks were thick and majestic.
She had no intention of appreciating the painting, but for some reason, she was suddenly moved. However, she quickly regained her composure and said, "No matter who it was today, Lan Huai'en went too far. But you are an official under the Crown Prince, and I am not so destitute as to be at his mercy. Today's ostensible attack on you is probably just a pretext."
Shen Wei sensed the underlying meaning and tentatively asked, "Is Lan Huaien planning to harm the Crown Prince?"
“He has no need for it, nor does he have the guts for the time being. I’m afraid it’s someone else who’s using the excuse of eliminating Bai Cunzhang’s remaining supporters to do something, stepping on you while also throwing mud at the Crown Prince.”
Her gaze drifted casually to the bright window, and suddenly she felt a sense of realization. The wind blew swiftly through the scene, the snow fell softly, and the twentieth year of Xuan Ning had finally come to an end. Six years had already passed since she entered the Eastern Palace.
A note from the author:
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