Trip to the Capital (Part 6)
These past few days, Mu Chuan has been working with Imperial Envoy Sun Mingyuan at the Dali Temple to investigate the crimes of illegal ironworks and to dig deeper into the clues of collusion between them and court officials. They have been leaving early and returning late every day.
When he returned to the mansion, the servants were carrying items from the prince consort's room out of the mansion. When he stopped one of them to ask, he discovered that things had changed inside the mansion.
Mu Chuan's expression didn't change at all when it came to his parents' divorce. He simply nodded slightly, indicating that he was aware of it and that the matter was over.
However, when Mu Lan heard that her brother had returned to the manor, she hurriedly brought out the register she had just found, wanting to drag her brother along to change their surnames.
The Lin family is indeed not a kind family; it's better that they changed their surname to Mu.
He said to his sister, "I have to go to the Dali Temple tomorrow. It's a case concerning the safety of the people on the border, and I can't delay. Take my household register with you and help me change my surname."
Lin Lan looked at his slightly tired expression and said, "Then brother should go and rest. I'll have Sister Pan'er come with me tomorrow."
Mu Chuan nodded. He was indeed tired from working at his desk day and night these past few days. He stretched his stiff back and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
The princess's divorce was a royal secret, especially since the husband's belongings were cleared out overnight. By the next morning, the news had already caused a sensation in Bianjing.
Before the court session ended, the Emperor specially kept Mu Chuan behind. Their relationship had always been very close, and the court officials were already used to it.
The Emperor pulled Mu Chuan into the Imperial Study. After confirming that no one was in the room, he immediately changed his expression, his eyes brightening as he asked with a gleam in his eyes, "I heard that my aunt has divorced her husband?"
"Yes, Mother has finally figured it out." Mu Chuan also put down his formal demeanor and casually found a chair to sit down: "Today, Lan'er will also take our household registration books to change our surnames."
"Then we need to send someone to the Imperial Clan Court to keep an eye on things," the Emperor said. "Since you've changed your surname, we're now considered brothers of the same clan, which gives us every reason to bestow upon you the titles of Prince or Princess."
Muchuan laughed.
His cousin had been having this idea for quite some time, but unfortunately, powerful ministers controlled the court and sidelined the monarch. Every time he brought it up, the ministers opposed it on the grounds that he was not of the same surname. However, Mu Chuan didn't care much about titles and such.
The eldest princess and the Empress Dowager were close friends. Even after the Empress Dowager and her son went to Kaiyuan Temple for spiritual practice, the eldest princess, missing her friend, would often visit them. Over time, the three children grew even closer. Compared to their brothers who were bloodthirsty for the throne, the Emperor and his aunt's two children were more like siblings.
The reason His Majesty kept Mu Chuan behind today is that a few days ago Mu Chuan sent a letter saying he wanted to retrieve the records of Yun Jin's rewards. In order not to alert Mu Chuan, His Majesty made a copy himself.
He pulled out a booklet from the drawer of the imperial desk: "The ones from recent years are all here. Apart from the expenses for grand ceremonies and state sacrifices, the Textile Bureau updates the patterns every year. The rewards received by the ministers are not all the same, so this should narrow down the scope."
Mu Chuan tucked the account book into his robes and prepared to leave, but was stopped by the Emperor: "My aunt did not attend court today, and my mother is somewhat worried. She ordered me to go to the manor to check on her after I finish my official duties."
This was a tacit way of supporting the eldest princess. Mu Chuan replied, "Okay, I will inform my mother and prepare a banquet."
With the Emperor's arrival, no one in the Princess's residence went out. Even Mu Chuan, who had been absent for days, left work early.
Lin Lan, who had changed her surname, which sounds the same as the heroine Hua Mulan, was very proud of her new name. When she heard that her cousin was coming, she got excited and dragged Wang Pan'er to make shaved ice so that her cousin, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, could also try it.
Knowing that the Princess's residence had a large cold storage, Wang Pan'er and Mu Lan added sweet milk to it. The shaved ice made with sweet milk tasted even better than ice cubes. Thin slices of watermelon were attached to the outside. The combination of watermelon and milk was refreshingly addictive in the hot summer.
Unexpectedly, the imperial edict conferring the titles of Prince and Princess arrived at the Princess's residence before the Emperor himself.
Mu Chuan and Mu Lan changed their surnames and entered the imperial ancestral hall, making their official titles legitimate. The ministers who controlled the court felt they couldn't stop it anyway, so they simply offered the emperor some incentives, and the imperial edict went directly to the Secretariat for review before being issued from the Grand Secretariat.
After the messenger finished reading the imperial decree, he handed it to the princess and said, "Your Highness, the silver workshop is already making the gilded silver register and silver seal for the Prince and Princess. They will be delivered to the residence in three days at most."
The princess nodded and casually rewarded the envoy with some gold leaves, and the envoy left happily.
He hadn't gone far when a head popped out from the gate of the mansion.
This man was dressed like a noble young master; if it weren't for the fact that the entire household was waiting for the Emperor today, who would recognize him?
He was also carrying a basket. After confirming that there were no outsiders in the mansion, he trotted over to the Princess, held up the basket, and said in a high-pitched, coquettish voice, "Aunt, yesterday the Western Regions sent grapes as tribute. My mother said you love them, so she specially saved two bunches of the best quality to bring."
The eldest princess was very pleased and took the basket with a smile, instructing Lüyi to wash and plate it: "The Empress Dowager is very thoughtful, and it is also a trouble for Yunji to make the trip in person."
Seeing this, the Emperor squeezed between the Princess and Mu Lan and took the Princess's arm: "I can only be at ease when I see that my aunt is as usual."
Mu Lan, who had been pushed aside, glared angrily with her cheeks puffed out, only to receive a provocative raised eyebrow from Emperor Mu Yunji.
"Alright." The eldest princess tapped the emperor's nose. "You're the naughtiest of all. Dressed like this today, you must have gone for a stroll on the Imperial Street again."
The emperor touched his nose and gave an embarrassed smile.
Wang Pan'er was utterly astonished.
She thought that meeting the Emperor would be solemn and dignified, and she even dressed up specially. Unexpectedly, he was a lively person with a childlike temperament, and was unusually close to the eldest princess's faction.
The scene before her was so harmonious it felt unreal, and Mu Yunji's sweet voice gave Wang Pan'er goosebumps, causing her to shiver.
Seeing Wang Pan'er's stunned expression, Mu Chuan smiled slightly.
This sound successfully attracted Mu Yunji's attention.
He turned his head, looked Wang Pan'er up and down, and asked Mu Chuan, "Judging from this young lady's sharp eyes, she must be the one who got involved in the illegal ironworks case?"
Mu Chuan nodded and pushed Wang Pan'er forward to introduce her: "That's right, not only did she get involved herself, but she also saved my life twice."
Mu Yunji said knowingly, "So you're offering yourself in return?"
With a soft "pfft," Wang Pan'er broke into laughter, thinking to herself that this Emperor was not only capricious but also had a rather interesting personality. When interacting with the Princess's family, he completely abandoned his status and acted like an ordinary junior.
No wonder Mu Chuan said he would be a good emperor, and was willing to risk his life to investigate the smuggled iron case for him.
Mu Chuan did not refute his joke about offering himself in return, and followed behind the princess towards the dining hall.
While Mu Lan and Mu Yunji were vying for favor, Wang Pan'er suddenly remembered the cousin Mu Chuan had mentioned who had invited him to go to the market together.
She leaned close to Mu Chuan's ear and whispered, "The cousin who once invited you to go to the market but is now too busy, is that the Emperor?"
Mu Chuan tilted his head slightly, his bright eyes focusing on Wang Pan'er's face, full of amazement: "It has to be you, you're really smart."
Wang Pan'er shook her head smugly, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Of course!"
The two laughed and joked behind him. Mu Yunji, with his sharp ears and eyes, immediately turned around and looked at him with a teasing expression.
Wang Pan'er straightened her posture and lowered her voice even further: "I never imagined that His Majesty would have this kind of personality."
"He didn't grow up in the palace."
Mu Chuan slowed his pace and chatted with Wang Pan'er about what happened back then.
Mu Yunji's mother was the daughter of a great general who protected the country. The late emperor, fearing the general's popularity and the potential for him to become too powerful, suppressed the influence of the general's descendants and followers after the general's death on the battlefield. Mu Yunji's maternal family was weak, and the late emperor, in his prime, took many concubines to ensure the continuation of the royal family.
For a time, the hearts of people in the harem were filled with treacherous schemes. The late emperor was pleased with this situation and used the struggle for succession among his sons as a way to maintain balance.
Having lost their support, the mother and son walked on thin ice, ultimately choosing to live in a temple, far from the imperial court.
Life in the temple was not easy; there were still many who wanted to kill the mother and child in the cradle. It was only because the eldest son took the initiative to use the government troops to set up a comprehensive manpower to protect the Kaiyuan Temple that they escaped this calamity.
For the next ten years or so, the Imperial Concubine lived a quiet and obedient life in Kaiyuan Temple, spending her days chanting scriptures and copying books under the dim light of the ancient Buddha. Even Mu Yunji followed the high monks in the temple to learn Buddhist etiquette and practice giving alms, and was gradually forgotten by the previous dynasty.
As the saying goes, "He who hunts an eagle all day will be pecked by it." The late emperor, despite his cunning schemes, not only perished in the struggle for the throne, but his princes also met tragic ends or suffered serious injuries. Only the son of the imperial concubine, who was taken out of the palace, remained intact.
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Just then, the new king of the Northern Barbarians ascended the throne, and his forces were overwhelming. To quell external threats, internal stability must be achieved first. The court debated for several days without reaching a conclusion, and everyone fell silent. In the end, they could only invite Mu Yunji and the Imperial Concubine back to the court and put them on the throne.
Mu Yunji had no interest in the throne, but with the situation so dire, he had no other choice but to sit on the dragon throne, which was so threatening to turn him into roasted meat, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles, and accepting the exploitation of various forces.
Beset by internal and external troubles, this is the current predicament of Mu Yunji.
After learning that iron ore was being smuggled from Jinzhong to the Northern Di, Mu Yun couldn't sleep at night. The Northern Di soldiers were skilled in archery and horsemanship, and he felt that a great battle was imminent. However, he had no one he could trust in the court. After much thought, he decided that Mu Chuan was the only one worth trying, so he asked Mu Chuan to secretly go to the Jinzhou area to investigate clues.
Wang Pan'er knew everything that happened afterward.
No wonder His Majesty doesn't seem to have much of an imperial demeanor.
Wang Pan'er sighed, "It hasn't been easy for him either."
"Yes." Mu Chuan was also worried about his cousin who had such a tragic fate. "Powerful ministers are in power in the court. If this is left unchecked, they will eventually be stationed in the Great Xia."
"It can have far-reaching consequences if the feathers are clipped too quickly. This will inevitably cause turmoil in the court. If His Majesty is fighting alone and wants to clean up the court, it will be a long-term battle."
Although the Great Xia Dynasty has always held the view that women should be virtuous for their lack of talent and did not allow them to interfere in politics, Mu Chuan really had no interest in speaking to women who were confined to the inner quarters and whose souls had been worn down.
Just like his mother, the current princess, who held a high position and was exceptionally intelligent, yet failed to use her talents to benefit the people, instead suffering from marital troubles and becoming depressed, truly a pearl obscured. Fortunately, she has now come to her senses and is helping the emperor stabilize the situation, which Mu Chuan felt was the proper role of a princess.
Wang Pan'er is also a shining person; she shouldn't be bound by these worldly rules.
Mu Chuan appreciated and agreed, and sincerely praised, "You actually know these things."
"I manage the shops, and His Majesty manages the country. In essence, we are both managing people. Human nature is unchanging, and the principles are the same. However, the larger the operation, the more effort it requires to run. This is why I dare not blindly expand the branches. A large ship is difficult to turn around. If the helmsman makes a wrong decision, it is the ordinary crew members who suffer."
Wang Pan'er's words echoed Mu Chuan's thoughts. He frowned and said, "It's a pity that those powerful officials only care about their own interests and don't care about the lives of ordinary people."
Wang Pan'er patted him on the shoulder: "The great cause is not yet accomplished; we still need to work hard."
Mu Chuan grabbed Wang Pan'er's hand that was patting his shoulder and clasped it together: "I'm glad you don't blame me for being too busy to pay attention to me."
Wang Pan'er laughed and said, "We're not little kids anymore. We all have things to do, don't we?"
"So you really have no plans to open a shop in the capital?"
"Take it slow. I can open a shop with your help, but I don't have enough skills. The power here is very complex and it's hard to run a business well. You can't get fat in one bite. Give me some time."
Wang Pan'er did not refuse, and Mu Chuan felt relieved. He smiled again and led Wang Pan'er to the dining room.
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