Chapter 90 The school: She didn't want to come back, so I personally went there. ...
At dawn, dark clouds gathered in the sky above the capital, and in an instant, thunder and lightning began to rumble. Large raindrops pounded on the cobblestone streets, and in no time, the streets were flooded. The torrential rain poured down, turning the usually bustling neighborhood into a desolate place, creating an atmosphere of fear and unease.
Two months ago, a major event occurred in the capital. A document personally signed by Ning Xian, the Governor-General of the Southeast, was sent to the cabinet, reporting that the Imperial Dragon Academy had been purged once again, all of its books and writing materials had been confiscated, and requesting the cabinet to issue a decree to shut down all private academies and order them to disband within a specified period, thus completely nipping this persistent trend of girls' education in the bud.
After the edict banning academies was issued, local officials intensified their supervision of local educational institutions. The officials were putting in their best efforts to deal with this invisible war, unaware that a much larger conspiracy was about to surface.
Sixteen large sedan chairs landed steadily at the palace gate. The servants around them were soaked to the bone by the rain. A five-foot-long oiled silk umbrella was placed over the top of the sedan chairs, moving slightly as the people inside got out, completely blocking the rain from the heavens and not splashing a drop on them.
Prince Jing glanced at the majestic palaces and pavilions, stretched his back, rubbed his lower back, and said, "It's been a long time since I've been to the palace. Today is a good day to go out; the weather is cool!"
Attendant Xi Weifang held up a heavy umbrella and said, "Your Highness, the time we agreed upon with His Majesty is almost here. We need to hurry."
Prince Jing laughed and said, "We can't keep my brother waiting any longer, let's hurry up!"
The prince did not ride in a sedan chair when he entered the palace. By the time he reached the Taiji Hall, his robes, shoes, and socks were completely soaked from the rain. A blue-robed eunuch waiting outside the Taiji Hall saw that the prince was in wet clothes when he came to pay his respects and greeted him, saying, "Your Highness, please change your clothes and shoes."
Such treatment was reserved for princes, and Prince Jing was very pleased. He went to a side hall to change into a dry prince's robe before stepping into the Taiji Hall.
Inside the Taiji Hall, Emperor Chongming's brows were furrowed with a gloomy expression. When he saw Prince Jing enter the hall, he gently closed the account book in his hand, raised his hand to skip the formalities, and handed the account book to him, saying, "Take a look."
Prince Jing took the account book and saw on the cover that it read "General Account Book of the Ministry of Revenue, Chongming Sixteenth Year".
He flipped through the account books and said, "Last year, the tax revenue collected nationwide was much less than in previous years. This year, the tax revenue seems to be even less than last year. The income and expenditure cannot balance out. But... which government office's accounts are wrong?"
Emperor Chongming looked up at the plaque of the Taiji Hall. Taiji, Taiji—his methods of governance were Taiji. He had not held court for eight years, and the government had no say in the affairs of state. He left the work to his subordinates. If they did well, they would be promoted and ennobled; if they did poorly, they would be demoted and forced to flee. The Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs were his powerful tools. Now that the accounts were difficult to balance, they had learned to pass the buck to each other, and no one would admit to the other's mistakes.
Sheng Honghai said, "It's not just that some government office's accounts are wrong; Dahuang's revenue is indeed declining. Fortunately, we recovered most of the stolen silver from the Linzhang sea area, otherwise this year would have been extremely difficult. We have to fight Japanese pirates on the southeastern border, and the northwest has been plagued by continuous floods and famines since the beginning of the year. The people are suffering, and taxes are hard to collect. But the most troublesome thing is not even these..."
Prince Jing probably knew why Emperor Chongming had summoned him today, and said, "Please speak frankly, Eunuch Sheng."
Sheng Honghai said, "We need to raise grain and recruit soldiers."
King Jing's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Why do you say that?"
Sheng Honghai remained silent, and Emperor Chongming said indifferently, "Back in the Linzhang sea area, you also noticed something amiss, didn't you? The third prince's wings have grown too strong, and I'm afraid he can't bear the day I abdicate. It's lonely at the top; sitting in this position, there's no brotherly affection among the imperial family."
Prince Jing was so frightened that he knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please understand! Although I have participated in the factional struggle, I have never had any intention of seizing the throne!"
“I know,” Emperor Chongming gestured for him to stand up, not to be so surprised. “You are a calm and Confucian type, and you always strive to be a gentleman. Even if you disapprove of the Third Prince’s philandering ways, you still use open strategies when you compete with him. But now, if you don’t resort to underhanded tactics, the Third Prince will not let you go, and he might even… not let the court go.”
King Jing broke out in a cold sweat, stood up from the ground, and bowed, saying, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
Emperor Chongming gestured for Sheng Honghai to hand him the secret edict, and then heard the faint sound of strings being played outside the hall, the tone becoming urgent, "Come in."
Seeing that King Jing was also there, Wei Shengxian looked up at Emperor Chongming and began to recount the whole story of their trip to Huanyan Liuguang City.
Emperor Chongming, who was usually calm, suddenly changed his mind halfway through the conversation. He flung his sleeve and threw all the scrolls on the upturned sandalwood table aside, spilling ink, paper and inkstone all over the floor. He cursed, "You scoundrel! How dare you covet my daughter! Xiao Yinshi... He has been abstaining from women for many years, but now he is willing to risk his life to kidnap Yongle. He is truly audacious!"
King Jing quickly stepped forward and comforted him, "Brother, don't worry! Xiao Yin has been lurking in our Dahuang for many years. He is still weak and it won't be easy for him to return to Dahua and reclaim sovereignty. Besides, his army has been severely defeated by the princess! Brother, why don't we write a letter to the emperor of Hua Kingdom and tell them about this? Let them fight amongst themselves!"
Emperor Chongming nodded in approval, then looked at Wei Shengxian and asked with concern, "Where is Yongle? She must be tired from her long journey. I'll go see her!"
Watching the emperor leave so abruptly, Wei Shengxian's expression became slightly subtle. He knelt down and kowtowed, pleading guilty, "Your Majesty, I have failed to live up to your grace and was unable to bring back Princess Yongle!"
Emperor Chongming frowned, turned around, and spoke sternly, "What's going on?"
Wei Shengxian then recounted the uncontrollable development of the events that followed: "I led a group of Imperial Guards and sailed the official ship into the harbor early to wait, but unexpectedly the princess... fired a cannon. Fortunately, I led my men to take cover in time, otherwise we would have been blown to bits by now."
Upon hearing this, Prince Jing's lips twitched, and he exclaimed, "Truly worthy of my royal bloodline, such a temper!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongming glared at him, then sighed and said, "She still refuses to come back..."
King Jing asked, "Where is the princess now?"
Wei Shengxian said, "The scouts who were following her reported that the princess went towards the southeastern border of Dahuang, and her destination should be Linzhou, the mountain stronghold that the Imperial Dragon Camp has occupied for many years."
The sound of the water clock was melodious and far-reaching. After several drops, Emperor Chongming sighed slowly, as if giving in to his daughter's unruly temper. "Very well, if she doesn't want to come back, I will go there myself."
Prince Jing and Wei Shengxian were greatly alarmed upon hearing this, and said in unison, "Your Majesty, you must not! Your Majesty's life is of utmost importance. Japanese pirates have been invading from the southeast for years. The affairs of the state are of paramount importance. You must not take such a risk lightly!"
Emperor Chongming said, "I know what is important and will not let personal matters interfere with politics. The Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs are in charge of the court, and the academy case has been cleared up. There is no problem."
***
Linzhou is where Feng Youming began teaching and spreading knowledge. Because it is located on the border of Dahuang, far from the emperor, the uprising was not discovered at the beginning. She established many girls' schools here, but due to the recent imperial edict strictly prohibiting the prevalence of private schools, all the schools have been forced to close down.
Feng Tan had only heard of the Master's deeds in Linzhou before, but she was still shocked to be there in person. The school was forced to close down, and hundreds of girls stood silently at the foot of the mountain where the Imperial Dragon Camp was located, pleading to be allowed to enter the Imperial Dragon Camp's own school. There was a light in their eyes that girls from other regions did not have. They knew that there was a wealth of knowledge in books, and that although the school had closed down, it was like wild grass that could not be burned out and would sprout and grow again when spring came.
The cliff face was steep and rugged. Feng Tan stood in the training ground of the Imperial Dragon Camp, his hands behind his back, gazing at the girls at the foot of the mountain. He asked Feng Bingzhu, "Why are they not allowed to come up the mountain?"
“There isn’t enough space,” Feng Bingzhu spread out the map in his palm and showed Feng Tan the distribution of the Imperial Dragon Camp. “This mountain is only so big. Three years ago, it stopped accepting newcomers. Of all the places in the area, this is the only one that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s impregnable. If we can’t change the location, they can’t get in.”
Yu Ruxi put away her red-tasseled spear and walked towards the two of them. "The girls' school has been completely demolished. This world is becoming increasingly narrow and difficult to navigate. I admire the Imperial Dragon Camp for being able to walk so firmly in the darkness!"
After she finished speaking, she made a fist-and-palm gesture, adding a touch of chivalrous spirit to it. She turned to look at Zheng Qingru, who had not uttered a word, and called out to him, "When Yongle was not back, you thought about her every day. How come she is right in front of you, and you don't dare to say a word? Zheng Qingru, are you even capable?"
Zheng Qingru's handsome face flushed slightly after being teased by Yu Ruxi. He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment before walking towards them. His eyes fell on Feng Tan, and he said, "Yongle, I'm sorry."
Feng Tan laughed and said, "What do you have to apologize to me for? When Wanzhou was in trouble, you argued with Gao Yu at Yongle Temple; when I was exiled to the frontier, you traveled thousands of miles without lifting a finger. If anyone should apologize, it should be me to you. I've been hiding my identity since I returned to the capital, so I'm apologizing to you here!"
Zheng Qingru quickly grasped her wrist as she bowed, but recoiled as if he had touched a hot potato the moment he touched it. Yu Ruxi laughed and said, "Such a quiet, unassuming fellow, always adhering to the gentlemanly way!"
As they talked, the banquet was already prepared. Linzhou is located by the sea, and most of the delicacies are seafood-style. Feng Tan was not used to the food. Lin Wanzhou sat next to her and handed her the osmanthus soup that she had made for her, saying in a low voice, "Try this."
Feng Tan looked at Lin Wanzhou. According to Feng Bingzhu, since Da Huoye took her out of Hongxiu Pavilion, she has become increasingly silent and rarely speaks. Now that Feng Tan has come, she has become more talkative, but she is still taciturn. This is because she has something on her mind.
Feng Tan took the soft and sticky osmanthus soup, scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth, praising, "Wanzhou's cooking skills are almost as good as Uncle Meng's."
"Really?" Yu Ruxi turned her head to look at the osmanthus soup and said, "Sister Lin, feed me a spoonful!"
Lin Wanzhou blushed slightly, scooped a small spoonful and put it into Yu Ruxi's mouth, watching her reaction hesitantly. Seeing her frowning and not speaking, she whispered, "Is it not to your taste?"
Yu Ruxi said, "It tastes awful..."
Lin Wanzhou scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth, and Yu Ruxi laughed out loud, saying, "No way! It's delicious, Lin sister!"
Lin Wanzhou laughed and lightly slapped Yu Ruxi. Yu Ruxi hid behind Feng Tan while complaining, "Oh dear, your sister is so fierce!"
As the three were playing happily, a soldier waiting at the foot of the mountain came up with a message: "Reporting to the commander, Emperor Chongming's entourage is about to arrive in Linzhou!"
Author's Note: This is a plot transition; the male and female leads will likely clash in the next chapter.
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