Conferring the title of King
Since Chun Di, Yan Shu and Ling Yuan's relationship has become less icy and more like that of an ordinary married couple.
However, in the imperial court, the sixth prince, Xuan Gui, the child born to Consort Lin, who was only fifteen years old this year, suddenly stood out. First, his lectures and answers surprised the old scholars, and later, when the emperor asked him about trivial matters of state, he was able to answer them eloquently.
That day, during the court assembly, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works got into another argument—they were passing the buck over a section of the river that needed repair, each claiming they had no money.
The emperor's expression grew increasingly grim.
Xuan Gui, who had been standing quietly in the princes' line, suddenly stepped forward: "Father, I have checked the old records. This section of the river was repaired in the previous dynasty, and the records are still there. Why don't we refer to this precedent and recalculate the cost based on current prices?"
He paused, then said in a clear voice, "We can also use 'work relief' to let the disaster-stricken refugees along the river do the work. This would solve the labor problem, soothe people's livelihoods, and maybe even save some money."
The entire court was stunned. This idea was both practical and benevolent.
The Emperor's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Good! This matter is entrusted to you. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue will work together to handle it!"
After the court session, Ling Yuan went to Lingxiao Pavilion and told Yan Shu about it. Although his tone was calm, Yan Shu saw a light in his eyes. He was genuinely happy for his nephew.
But some people aren't happy about it.
In the Prime Minister's study, Cui Chong paced back and forth with a grim face. Crown Prince Xuan Shuo sat below him, his expression even more unpleasant.
"You all saw it, didn't you?" Cui Chong's voice was deep. "The Sixth Prince is about to rise to power. Today he can control the canal transport, tomorrow he'll be meddling in other things. If this continues..."
The Crown Prince clenched his fist: "Grandfather, the Sixth Prince is currently riding high, and with Prince Duan backing him up, it's probably not feasible to openly take action against him."
"What's there to be afraid of!" Cui Chong sneered. "What can a fifteen-year-old brat accomplish, even with Prince Duan guiding him? We have people in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue. We can tamper with the budget, plant some troublemakers among the displaced people working on the projects, and see how his 'work relief' ends!"
An aide chimed in, "The Prime Minister is right. The Sixth Prince is young and inexperienced. If he messes up his first assignment, the Emperor will naturally understand the gravity of the situation."
“Prime Minister, there’s something else. For the past month or so, Princess Duan has been getting quite close to that woman from Tangli Palace. The Empress even summoned her for a meeting. It’s said that Prince Duan himself went to Fengyi Palace to take her away, but she reappeared at Tangli Palace just a few days later,” another advisor said.
"Sigh... that girl Yan Shu..." Cui Chong said, "Then let the Empress summon her to the palace to 'attend to her illness.' My youngest daughter is increasingly disregarding her family."
The Crown Prince hesitated, then said, "Grandfather, regarding Prince Duan... his maternal clan has guarded the northern frontier for generations. Although they are far away, Prince Duan still holds military power... We..."
"Military power?" Cui Chong sneered. "The Northern Frontier is a thousand miles away from the capital. No matter how favored Ling Yuan is, he was only granted the title of king after His Majesty ascended the throne. Even if he holds military power, he is still young. How much influence can he have in the court? As long as Xuan Gui doesn't handle this task well, they won't be able to cause any trouble."
After discussing the matter further, everyone dispersed.
Cui Chong stood alone by the window, gazing at the autumn colors in the courtyard. He recalled his youngest daughter before her marriage, when she was just an innocent and carefree little girl. Now that she had married into the royal household, she had learned to outsmart her father.
"Shu'er, oh Shu'er," he murmured to himself, "you mustn't force your father."
On that day, someone indeed came from the Empress's palace to deliver a message, saying that the Empress was unwell and that Princess Duan needed to come to the palace to attend to her.
Before Yan Shu could speak, Ling Yuan spoke first: "Go back and inform Her Majesty the Empress that the Princess Consort has been unwell recently and is unable to enter the palace. Once the Princess Consort is better, I will personally go to Her Majesty the Empress to apologize."
A few days later
As expected, the Empress's face darkened upon seeing Ling Yuan arrive alone: "What is the meaning of this, Prince Duan?"
"Your Majesty, on behalf of the Princess Consort, I have come to apologize to my sister-in-law," Ling Yuan said calmly. "Her old illness has recently relapsed, and the imperial physician says she needs to recuperate properly. It is truly inconvenient for her to enter the palace to attend to her. I beg your understanding, sister-in-law."
"An old ailment?" the Empress asked, seemingly with concern. "Is Shu'er alright?"
Ling Yuan said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I've already found some reliable imperial physicians for her. After all... all medicines have some toxicity, and the main concern is that using the wrong medicine might harm her health."
The Empress's heart skipped a beat at his pointed words, but she forced herself to remain calm and asked, "What do you mean by that, Prince Duan?"
"Your Majesty," Lingyuan smiled faintly, "I simply feel that the Princess Consort's health has been well taken care of by the Imperial Physicians. Moreover, the Princess Consort is currently only taking the prescriptions given by the Imperial Physicians; nothing else has been used. Her health is gradually improving, so please do not worry, Your Majesty."
The Empress was speechless at his words: "In that case, let Shu'er take good care of herself."
A month later, the river repair was completed on schedule, and there was even a budget surplus.
As expected, Hyun-gyu encountered numerous obstacles during that month.
The budget was deliberately inflated, the materials and labor were substandard, and even recruiting displaced people caused frequent trouble. But he gritted his teeth and, with a few young officials, removed these obstacles one by one.
He personally checked every account, inspected every cartload of materials, and even lived in a camp by the river, eating and lodging with the refugees. Those who wanted to cause trouble were embarrassed to do so when they saw that even the prince was suffering like this.
At the court assembly, the Emperor, upon reading the report presented by Xuan Gui, was greatly pleased: "Excellent! Well done, Xuan Gui! You've handled this task beautifully!"
He surveyed his assembled officials and announced in a loud voice, "By imperial decree, the Sixth Prince, Xuan Gui, is hereby conferred the title of Prince Chen, and is granted residence in the Prince Chen's Mansion. From this day forth, he shall participate in court affairs!"
The moment the character "宸" was uttered, the entire court was in an uproar.
When the news reached the Prime Minister's residence, Cui Chong was having tea. Upon hearing the words "Prince Chen," he smashed his teacup on the ground with a "crash," shattering porcelain everywhere.
"Prince Chen... what a Prince Chen!" His face was ashen as he paced back and forth in the study. "His Majesty is pushing him towards the position of Crown Prince!"
Crown Prince Xuan Shuo rushed over, his forehead covered in cold sweat: "Grandfather, what do we do now? The sixth prince has actually been granted the title of Prince Chen, and now Prince Duan will definitely side with him, this..."
"What's the panic!" Cui Chong shouted sternly. "If open attacks don't work, then let's try covert ones."
A staff member said worriedly, "Prime Minister, there's something else. The nanny we planted in Prince Duan's residence sent word that Prince Duan has recently been blocking all of the Princess's tonics, and he's keeping a close eye on her. The nanny finally managed to get a chance to report to you, Prime Minister, that Ling Ying, who's by his side, seems to be secretly investigating the prescriptions..."
Cui Chong's expression changed drastically: "What? No wonder Prince Duan spoke so sarcastically to the Empress that day!"
Another aide whispered, "Prime Minister, if the matter of the medicine is exposed, I'm afraid... it might really be impossible to win over Prince Duan."
"Shut up!" Cui Chong interrupted sharply. After a moment's hesitation, he said to his trusted advisor, "I've heard that the royal family has a heirloom passed down through generations, which is related to the succession to the throne..."
"A token?" The crown prince was taken aback. "I've never heard Father mention it before."
"It is precisely because it is so secretive that we must investigate it!" Cui Chong said decisively. "Use all our connections to find out the whereabouts of this token."
After everyone had left, Cui Chong sat alone in his study. The candlelight flickered, illuminating his ever-changing face.
He had paid a heavy price to climb from a son of a concubine to his current position. He had finally managed to elevate his eldest daughter to the position of empress and establish a crown prince; he absolutely could not allow a fifteen-year-old child to ruin everything.
But when he thought of Yan Shu again, a complex emotion swept through him. She was his daughter, born late in life, and whom he had once cherished dearly. But now…
He walked to the desk, picked up his pen, and wrote down a coded message.
It's time to use that piece that's been buried for so many years.
---
"Prince Chen?"
Upon hearing this news, Yan Shu paused in her needlework at the Prince Duan's residence.
Ling Yuan hummed in response and continued flipping through the book with an ordinary expression, but Yan Shu still noticed a hint of seriousness between his brows.
"Is Your Highness worried?" she asked softly.
"A tall tree catches the wind." Ling Yuan put down his book. "The character 'Chen' is too heavy; whether it's a blessing or a curse is hard to say."
Yan Shu remained silent. She understood his concerns. The more dazzling Xuan Gui was, the greater the crisis behind him. Recalling the bloody battles in history books caused by the struggle for the throne, her heart clenched.
Undercurrents are surging, and an even bigger storm is brewing.
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