Chapter 86 Six Deadly Tigers Lie on a Barren Hill
*
Yumen Pass.
Summers here are short and winters are long, and spring is still far off. A brazier of charcoal fire barely keeps out the biting cold of the frontier. Inside the room, a dim lamp flickers, and General Jing Ye, who is stationed in the west, is discussing this year's agricultural production with two of his subordinates. The smell of sheepskin maps and ink sticks mingles in the air. Suddenly, a young man pushes open the door from outside, and a blast of cold air rushes in: "Master, I'm back!"
The General of the Western Garrison stopped speaking and put down his pen; his two subordinates also fell silent.
"Is everything taken care of?" Jing Ye asked in a deep, resonant voice.
He had an old friend, a soldier surnamed Yu, who passed away at the beginning of the year. He himself was stationed at the border and could not return to the capital without an imperial edict. The passes and mountains were difficult to cross, so he sent a young man with gold to the camp outside the capital to offer condolences and express his grief.
The young man knelt on one knee and reported, "Master, rest assured, it was handled perfectly! The gold and letter have been personally delivered to General Yu. Your disciple also knelt and kowtowed three times and offered incense and wine before the spirit tablet on your behalf to comfort General Yu's spirit in heaven."
Jing Ye nodded, and everyone fell silent. After a few sighs and casual conversations, the sorrow in the atmosphere gradually faded. One of his subordinates couldn't help but ask the young man, "Little Jiang, did you sneak into the city on your trip to the outskirts of the capital?"
Fearing his master would scold him for being distracted, the boy immediately denied it: "No!"
Jingye glanced at the boy: "Tell the truth."
"Master, please forgive me!" The young man, who had already stood up, knelt down again and kowtowed upon hearing this. "I did indeed dare to wander into the city for half a day. It was truly a scene of bustling carriages and horses, a vast expanse of red carpet, dazzling to the eye..." He reminisced about the prosperity of the capital and suddenly remembered that his master had once served as the commander of the suburban garrison. He couldn't help but yearn for it and said, "I want to be like you someday and earn my way to the suburban garrison!"
"Then you'd better work hard!" the subordinate replied with a smile. The boy grinned as well, but then frowned: Something's not right. Why did Master still come back to the desolate and lonely Jade Gate in the end?
"Commander Jing." A male voice called softly from outside the door.
"Come in." Jing Ye recognized the voice as that of the general who was in charge of delivering imperial edicts. As he agreed, he pondered what edict the emperor had issued to announce to the world.
The gatekeeper bowed and got straight to the point: "His Majesty issued an imperial edict the day before the Spring Festival, saying that Princess Zhaohui is kind, wise and decisive, and that she will be made Crown Princess and inherit the throne in the future."
The room fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.
After a short while, Jing Ye did not respond to the gatekeeper, but instead turned to the young man and asked, "Have you heard about this in the capital?"
"I only have what I've seen in the city," the boy answered truthfully. "I just wandered around the city; I didn't see any royalty or nobles at all!"
Jingye did not ask any further questions, silently raised his head, and looked up at the bright moon outside the window.
It was the fifteenth of the month, and the moon was bright and full, both round and luminous.
Seeing that Jing Ye seemed somewhat enlightened, his subordinates mistakenly assumed he was equally astonished and didn't approve of the woman's appearance, so they said, "There's a difference between men and women, and a hierarchy..."
“Since the Emperor’s will has been made, we, as his subjects, should obey without question.” Jing Ye interrupted, turning back to his side. “The establishment of an heir by the Emperor is to uphold the ancestral temples and bring peace to the common people. Since we have received the imperial edict, the Crown Princess is the sovereign of us, her subjects. The establishment of an heir is based on the rule of law, not on outdated ideas.”
The commander-in-chief was solemn and serious, and naturally no one dared to raise any further objections. The young man gazed intently at Jing Ye, his eyes shining like stars—his master was indeed refined, authoritative yet cultured, and his words always hit the mark. With just a few words, he could subtly influence everyone and instantly win their hearts.
Jing Ye secretly pondered that the military governors were divided into east, west, south, north, and central regions, and his western and northern border regions would naturally align themselves with the Crown Princess due to their historical ties.
The Central Army... He had long since lost contact with Yuan Wancheng and could not speak to him. He was also unfamiliar with the people in the east, but he still had some old friendships with the people in the south.
Jing Ye dismissed his subordinates, leaving only the young man in his room to grind ink.
He could already write a natural and robust running script by himself: Brother, it is as if we are meeting in person...
He wrote a letter and ordered the young man to send it urgently to the southern border, hoping to do his best to help solidify the foundation of the Crown Princess.
Not long after the boy left, another snow fell on Yumen, and spring still had not arrived.
The cold had already subsided in the capital. Wang Yuying would occasionally crack open the window of her private room in Shuyu Tower, as it was still covered by a gauze, making it impossible for outsiders to see her clearly. At night, she could still vaguely see the outline of the magnolia cups in her neighbor's house, and she couldn't help but recall passing by during the day and seeing those few white and purple branches intertwined over the wall, standing gracefully.
Sensing approaching footsteps, Wang Yuying closed the window, turned, and walked towards the door. Zheng Yangzhi entered and immediately put his arm around her waist. He glanced indifferently at the window, and without needing to speak, thought: Since she likes it, I'll have someone plant two magnolia trees in her house after dawn.
Wang Yuying could guess what Zheng Yangzhi was thinking, and politely declined, saying, "No need, if there are too many trees, I won't have a place to practice my sword."
She fears that the magnolia will turn into a Gesang flower in the future.
Zheng Yangzhi did not insist and pulled her to sit down. Wang Yuying turned her head to look at Zheng Yangzhi—more than two months had passed since the Crown Princess was established. At first, the court was in an uproar, with many opposing views. Xu Heng was furious and rebuked everyone for being stubborn, but he did not completely eliminate dissent. He only dismissed the five people who offered the most vehement advice. As for the rest, he would occasionally listen to some innocuous opinions.
A few days ago, Xu Heng reinstated one of the five men to his original position.
Today was even more outrageous. She heard that Xu Shiyu, the eighth-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu, had secretly come to the capital. Xu Heng not only received him at the morning court session and bestowed upon him a precious sword, but also granted him an official position and ordered him to oversee the grain transport.
"You were also present at the morning court session. The imperial edict was issued to appoint the crown prince, but in secret you were still eyeing his heir and hindering Zhaohui. Doesn't this make it clear to the whole world that the crown prince is not the only choice and that the emperor has other plans?"
All of this was within Wang Yuying's expectations, yet she was still uneasy. Having just spoken, and with Zheng Yangzhi not responding immediately, she couldn't help but raise her voice and say, "The reason these conservative ministers are obstructing us is simply because they fear the Empress's ascension to the throne and the change of power. They previously asked you to appease them, promising that if the Crown Princess were to inherit the throne, their positions and salaries would remain unchanged. Did you actually say that?"
They stared at each other, speechless. Zheng Yangzhi's gaze lingered on Wang Yuying's face for a moment, then his arm rose from her waist to her shoulder, pressing down on her shoulder as he said softly, "This Xu Shiyu is easy to deal with."
He glanced at the pearl pendant dangling from her ear, raised his other hand, gently flicked the pendant away with two fingers, and planted a kiss on Wang Yuying's cheek.
In June of that year, shortly after the summer floods, dozens of officials jointly impeached Xu Shiyu on the grounds of "famine and public resentment".
Since the resumption of morning court sessions, the emperor has always started court earlier and ended it later, with all civil and military officials only ever seeing the emperor seated on the dragon throne. This was no exception at this moment. He slowly opened his mouth and ordered someone to present the impeachment memorial.
The emperor could read ten lines at a glance, and the records of delays in the grain transport and the evidence of grain price fluctuations were clear and distinct.
He surveyed the hall with disdain, his gaze sweeping from Prime Minister Zheng, who stood at the very front, down the ranks, before finally settling on Xu Shiyu. He slammed his hand on the armrest, causing the curtain to sway slightly: "Useless trash!"
Xu Shiyu, who was already kneeling, kept kowtowing upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, please forgive us. We have been caught in the flood season, and the current is so swift that the grain ships have had to remain stranded along the route."
"Lord Xu, in charge of the grain transport, has failed in his duties, jeopardizing the foundation of the nation!" the Vice Minister of Revenue, who had submitted the memorial, declared emphatically. "Tens of thousands of bushels of grain are stuck on the road. If it takes another ten days or half a month, the people will starve, yet he remains unscathed!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down—" Prime Minister Zheng, standing on the left, stepped forward. He was as tall as a purple crane and slowly bowed. "The Grand Canal is indeed related to the foundation of the country, but this matter involves a wide range of issues. We cannot convict Lord Xu based on a few words. We need to investigate thoroughly to convince the public."
The emperor slowly turned to look at Prime Minister Zheng, who sat motionless on his throne. Only behind the jeweled crown and beaded curtain, a pair of eyes were filled with turbulent emotions—Zheng Yangzhi was actually speaking up for Xu Shiyu.
He had never helped Zhaohui like this before.
After a brief moment of silence from the emperor, the Vice Minister of Revenue and the Censor-in-Chief, among others, continued to impeach Xu Shiyu, all kneeling on the ground, their voices rising in waves, as if only by holding him accountable could they quell the public resentment.
At this moment, Zheng Yangzhi knelt down and earnestly said, "As the head of all officials, I failed to foresee the situation and assist Your Majesty in controlling the grain transport, and I am also to blame."
The emperor silently gripped the armrest with his right hand, tightening his grip before releasing it again.
After a long pause, the curtain swayed, and a deep voice issued an order: "Since that is the case, Xu Shiyu has neglected his duties. He is stripped of his authority over the grain transport and sent back to his hometown! The Prime Minister failed in his duty, but considering that you took responsibility voluntarily, I will give you a lighter punishment: twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others."
"Thank you for your great favor!"
Zheng Xiang and Xu Shiyu were immediately carried out of the palace. After a moment of contemplation, the emperor ordered the Crown Princess to take over the grain transport and quickly alleviate the food shortage in the capital.
The Crown Princess did not attend the morning court session. After receiving the news, she went to the Imperial Study to receive the order and take her leave half an hour later.
The emperor said earnestly, "On your trip to Huainan, you must learn from Shi Yu's lesson, constantly reflect on yourself, be diligent and self-disciplined, and do not disappoint my expectations."
Zhao Hui immediately lowered her eyes. He was reminding her that, like that prince, she was entirely at the mercy of the emperor's will.
Zhao Hui knelt down and expressed his heartfelt gratitude: "Your subject is grateful for Your Majesty's teachings. Your Majesty's grace is as vast as the sea. I will never forget your earnest instructions! On this journey to Huainan, I will certainly follow Your Majesty's wishes in everything I do and will never act arbitrarily or fail Your Majesty's expectations!"
Xu Heng found this quite pleasing. He nodded slightly, glanced at Zhao Hui's head, and thought that since her maternal family was weak and she had few relatives to rely on, it wouldn't be a bad thing to give her more support.
"Once you return from Huainan, you can start attending the morning court sessions," the emperor said calmly.
*
Nighttime, Shuyu Tower.
Zheng Yangzhi lay naked on the bed. As Wang Yuying applied medicine to him, she thought, although he had secretly instructed her to delay the seven-day journey and used a self-inflicted injury to clear his name, did he really have to wait until they met before applying the medicine?
That's twenty strokes of the cane!
“It will be quick once Yin Yin leaves,” Zheng Yangzhi said, “the grain will be delivered to the capital in a hurry.”
It won't delay the people.
Hearing his weak voice and the large bruises and cuts on his back, Wang Yuying couldn't help but say, "Applying medicine so late, aren't you afraid you'll die if you delay too long?"
Zheng Yangzhi smiled without saying a word. If the real person is gone, then he'll be her ghost lover.
Wang Yuying glanced at the white jade gourd bottle in her hand. Not only had he not changed the medicine over the years, but even the design of the bottle hadn't changed. He really was sentimental about both things and people...
Her heart softened, and when she looked at his pale, bloodless face and lips, and the cold sweat that kept seeping from his temples and forehead, she couldn't help but tremble slightly when she applied the medicine.
She felt that Zheng Yangzhi must have been in a lot of pain when he did it, but he kept his lips closed and didn't utter a sound.
Wang Yuying applied the medicine to the next spot, her touch becoming even lighter, but seeing that Zheng Yangzhi still reacted the same way, she finally couldn't help but lean down and peck him on the lips as a way of comforting him.
"If it hurts, just yell it out, don't hold it in," she said softly without thinking.
Zheng Yangzhi curled his lips and narrowed his phoenix eyes: "I always thought it was you who hit me, and I didn't feel any pain at all."
"So you were planning to pin this on me?"
Zheng Yangzhi smiled and stretched his left arm back to touch Wang Yuying's hand, holding and rubbing it for a while. Actually, he wasn't sacrificing purely for her; after all, she had made an exception and allowed him to stay in bed with her.
“I will be entering the palace in a few days,” Wang Yuying suddenly said.
Zheng Yangzhi's smile softened, and he looked at the tent. After a moment, he replied with a "okay," and then told her to be careful.
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