Gu Yun asked, “Any other clues about Guo Yangquan?”
Xu Jingzhou replied, “He’s tall, powerfully built, deeply resentful of the imperial court, impulsive, and fiercely loyal. His martial skills aren’t particularly impressive, but he has strong charisma and a natural ability to rally people. Honestly, earning his trust shouldn’t be difficult. As for anything else, I can’t remember. He was only a supporting character. Giving him too much page time would have disrupted the novel’s pacing. I assume that was the author’s intention.”
Gu Yun committed every detail to memory, thinking that his own supplementary description of Guo Yangquan the other day had been fairly accurate.
“Wait here for me,” he said. “I’m going to see Chao Yan.”
Xu Jingzhou immediately understood. “You’ve already asked Chao Ziyu for help?”
“Yes,” Gu Yun replied. “It was bound to happen sooner or later. With our abilities alone, we’re not capable of handling this matter. Besides, I’ve already told Chao Yan part of the truth.”
Xu Jingzhou nearly shouted in shock, catching himself only because Zhao He and the others were nearby.
“How could you dare? Are you certain he really has amnesia? Even modern medicine struggles to diagnose conditions like that, and ancient physicians didn’t even have proper diagnostic tools. You actually trust their judgment?”
Gu Yun smiled.
“I have no choice but to trust it. Things have already reached this point. If I can’t trust him at all, then I’ll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, never knowing peace. Better to take things one step at a time. Besides, there’s nothing for him to gain by deceiving me. And whether I trust him or not, I still have to reveal certain things eventually. Otherwise, how would I ever get you out?”
“You can still laugh about it.”
Gu Yun looked at him blankly. “What should I do instead? Cry?”
“Oh, come on.” Xu Jingzhou waved him off. “Tell me exactly what you confessed. If Chao Ziyu questions me later, I don’t want to accidentally expose you.”
Gu Yun recounted everything he had revealed. Xu Jingzhou carefully memorised it all.
“All right,” Gu Yun said. “I’m off to see Chao Yan.”
“Go on.”
…
By this time, Chao Yan had already returned from morning court.
He had originally planned to head to the Secretariat to handle state affairs, but due to his injuries, the Emperor had granted him several days of leave and ordered him to focus on recovering.
The others involved in the brawl, however, were far less fortunate.
The Emperor had flown into a rage during court and demoted all those responsible by one rank. Ning Fu and Commander Liu, identified as the principal instigators, each received twenty strokes of the board.
As for the two princes, Chao Song and Chao Yao, their followers were first dragged out and beaten. The princes themselves were then confined to their residences for three months. Should either dare leave before then, the Emperor declared that their legs would be broken.
Nor did the punishment stop there. Several attendants and retainers serving the princes were executed by cudgel, and Grand Eunuch Huang was instructed to select suitable replacements.
Prince Yan, the Meng family, and other affected parties were soothed and compensated. Those seriously injured, like Chao Yan, received temporary leave from official duties.
Once the chaos had been dealt with, the Emperor turned his attention to the matter of the substituted condemned prisoner. He ordered Meng Zhao to conduct a thorough investigation as an opportunity to redeem himself.
Officially, it was punishment. In reality, it was a promotion.
Chancellor Meng’s collapse had caused such a stir that someone ultimately needed to be seen dispensing justice. Yet severely punishing Grand Chancellor Hu was impossible. A token reprimand would suffice.
The previous evening, Hu had presented the Emperor with a memorial requesting retirement. The Emperor barely glanced at the stated reasons. They were obviously excuses.
Both men knew the real issue was Hu’s role in provoking Chancellor Meng into fainting.
Approve his retirement? Certainly not.
Without Hu, no one could effectively balance the competing factions at court. Worse still, the Meng faction would become overwhelmingly dominant.
In truth, Hu was one of the few officials capable of solving the Emperor’s headaches precisely because he refused to follow convention.
Hu himself had no desire to retire. The memorial was simply his way of resolving the political fallout.
Thus Emperor and minister tacitly cooperated in staging a touching display of sovereign and servant devotion. A token punishment followed, the matter was smoothed over, and everyone involved emerged satisfied.
The true challenge lay in appeasing Meng Huaipu.
The Emperor trusted him deeply, but promoting him further was impossible. Granting him a hereditary title was equally risky. Excessive power bred dangerous ambitions.
If Meng’s influence ever grew large enough to rival the throne itself, that would become a problem. Since Meng could not be rewarded directly, the Emperor turned his attention to his descendants instead.
A single-rank promotion for Meng Zhao would do nicely.
The Emperor had even refrained from holding him accountable for his earlier negligence. A little patching here, a little adjustment there, and once again the realm appeared peaceful.
Quite pleased with his own handiwork, the Emperor abandoned plans for an evening court session and cheerfully ordered preparations for a visit to Cining Temple that very afternoon.
At last, he could attend to the matter that truly interested him.
State affairs would continue as usual under the supervision of the Grand Secretaries and the Crown Prince. Particularly important memorials would still be delivered to him personally.
Cining Temple lay only a short distance from the palace. It was a hard ride of less than half an hour.
…
News of the brawl at the Meng residence had naturally spread throughout the capital, reaching the ears of the various Grand Princesses.
Early that morning, they dispatched servants to gather information. By the time court adjourned, they had already learned the full story.
Most cared little for the incident itself. They merely sent gifts to favoured individuals who had been punished or implicated and then turned their attention to discussing whether they should accompany the Emperor to Cining Temple.
Grand Princess Hanzhu, however, had no particular interest in the Emperor’s plans. As his elder sister, her position was secure regardless.
What occupied her thoughts was the Crown Prince.
According to reports, Chao Yan had been injured while attempting to break up the fight. The imperial physicians claimed his wounds were significant enough that the Emperor had granted him leave to recuperate.
She wondered whether she should bring Princess Roujia to visit him. Yet she hesitated.
Others would inevitably accuse her of trying to secure the position of Crown Princess for her daughter. While that accusation was not entirely false, she nevertheless found it irritating.
Was she, a Grand Princess, truly expected to curry favour with her own nephew?
Moreover, Roujia had been raised under her indulgent care. The girl remained innocent and romantic by nature. Exposing her to such cynical calculations seemed distasteful.
Unable to suppress the rumours that tarnished their reputations, and lacking the real authority to do so… Grand Princess Hanzhu paced restlessly through her luxurious courtyard.
Seeing her agitation, the chief steward of the estate stepped forward.
“Your Highness, you are His Highness’s aunt, and the Princess is his cousin. The Crown Prince has been injured. It is only proper for you both to visit him. As for the gossip outside, it isn’t worth your concern. Those people are merely jealous and shameless.”
That was exactly the encouragement she had been waiting for.
Her hesitation vanished. She immediately sent for Princess Roujia.
After carefully inspecting her daughter from head to toe, she nodded approvingly.
“Wan’er, where is the sachet you embroidered for Ziyu?”
Princess Roujia was thirteen this year. In another two years she would be of marriageable age… perhaps even sooner.
Yet despite years of expectation, the Crown Prince had never shown any sign of wanting to marry her.
This troubled Grand Princess Hanzhu greatly.
Though she held no formal political authority and her husband was an unremarkable man, she possessed vast wealth and commanded a private force bestowed upon her by the retired Emperor. A marriage alliance with her household would benefit the Crown Prince considerably.
She had even approached the Emperor before, seeking to formalise the arrangement. He had dodged the issue every time.
How infuriating. Did he really think she would simply give up because he refused?
Princess Roujia, dressed in light makeup, looked fresh and lovely. She understood perfectly what her mother intended.
Since childhood, she had been told that Crown Prince Ziyu was her ideal match. He was virtuous, disciplined, and a true gentleman. Having secretly observed him for years, she had come to agree.
Though public opinion of him remained mixed and often unfavourable compared to the late Crown Prince, her own feelings had never wavered.
Twirling her handkerchief, she lowered her eyes and suppressed a smile before signalling her maid to fetch the sachet. Every gesture revealed the quiet tenderness of a young girl in love.
Grand Princess Hanzhu gently patted her hand. “There’s something else you should know.”
Her expression hardened slightly.
“Ziyu recently brought a woman into his residence. I hear he favours her and even secured for her the title of Secondary Consort. We may encounter her during our visit. If we do, don’t lower yourself by arguing with her. You are a princess. Who is she? A concubine remains a concubine. How could she ever compare to a proper wife?”
Roujia froze.
“Wan’er?”
Her mother called her name three times before she finally responded.
“Mother… when did Crown Prince Ziyu take a consort?”
“Recently,” Hanzhu replied dismissively. “I don’t remember exactly when. It’s not important.”
Roujia slowly clenched her handkerchief into a ball. “I don’t want to visit him anymore.”
Hanzhu tapped her forehead.
“What nonsense are you thinking now? Are you dreaming about a husband who belongs only to you? Such things have never existed. Especially not for a Crown Prince. As long as you become his principal wife, no one will ever outrank you in his heart or household. If not Ziyu, then who? There is no better man in the realm. He’s merely taken a concubine.”
After a long silence, Roujia lowered her head. “I understand, Mother.”
She swallowed back her tears. Her mother would never intentionally harm her.
After all, even her own father, who was a mere prince consort, kept two concubines and several bedchamber attendants.
…
Acting on Consort Shu’s instructions, Zhao Xun arrived at the Eastern Palace carrying a food box to visit the Crown Prince.
Apparently she had neglected to burn incense sincerely enough before leaving home, because she immediately encountered the two people she disliked most: Grand Princess Hanzhu and Princess Roujia.
Suppressing a grimace, she offered a polite greeting. “Your Highness. Princess.”
Thanks to Consort Shu’s influence, Zhao Xun had been formally honoured by the court as a Filial Daughter and granted special privileges. By imperial decree, she was exempt from performing full ceremonial bows before members of the royal family.
Otherwise, considering how often she saw the Emperor and Crown Prince while serving Consort Shu, her knees would have long since been worn raw.
Grand Princess Hanzhu ignored her entirely and swept into the Eastern Palace with Roujia in tow.
What’s so impressive about her? She was simply born luckier than I was.
Once they had disappeared from sight, Zhao Xun stamped her foot.
Clutching the food box, she called to the eunuch guiding her. “Take me to Lady Gu instead.”
Running into Hanzhu and Roujia while visiting the Crown Prince sounded unbearable. Better to wait until they were finished.
The eunuch nodded. “I’ll find out where Lady Gu is now.”
After he left, Zhao Xun found a place to sit and opened the food box. Inside were exquisite pastries Consort Shu had specifically prepared for Gu Yun.
Zhao Xun stared at them longingly and swallowed. She had only tasted them once in her life.
The eunuch soon returned. “Lady Gu is currently with His Highness.”
Zhao Xun immediately wilted. In the study, Gu Yun stood beside Chao Yan, relaying the new information he had gathered. Chao Yan was bent over a desk practicing calligraphy.
“Why are you searching for Guo Yangquan?” he asked. “From your description, he doesn’t sound like someone from your homeland.”
“He isn’t,” Gu Yun admitted. “But he’s extremely important to both me and Master Xu.”
Chao Yan glanced at him.
Gu Yun immediately added, “He’s not my lover. And he’s not Master Xu’s lover either.”
Chao Yan burst out laughing. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Before Gu Yun could respond, Chao Yan lifted his brush and scribbled a few quick strokes across the back of his hand.
Looking down, Gu Yun discovered a pig’s head.
“Idiot,” Chao Yan said.
Gu Yun stared. What is wrong with you?
Without thinking, he slapped the back of his ink-stained hand against Chao Yan’s cheek.
The ink had not yet dried. Instantly, a blurry pig’s face appeared on Chao Yan’s skin.
Chao Yan blinked. “?”
Gu Yun laughed. Then he noticed Chao Yan’s expression darkening and immediately regretted everything.
Gu Yun, have you completely lost your mind? You’ve pushed your luck too far.
He was preparing to apologise when Chao Yan said coldly: “Stand still.”
Gu Yun froze.
Chao Yan tapped his nose with the brush and swiftly drew three whisker-like lines on each cheek.
Gu Yun: “?”
Chao Yan buried his face in the crook of his arm, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
Gu Yun finally understood. This bastard is making fun of me.
Looking up, Chao Yan rested his chin on one hand and smiled. “I’m not even angry. Why are you? Go look in a mirror. It’s quite cute.”
As if I’d believe that.
Gu Yun was already raising a foot to kick the chair beneath him when a woman’s voice sounded from outside:
“Ziyu, I heard you were injured. Your aunt brought two boxes of blood bird’s nest to nourish your recovery.”
Almost simultaneously, a young eunuch rushed into the study.
“Your Highness, Grand Princess Hanzhu and Princess Roujia have arrived. They said they came to visit you. Before we could announce them, they heard you were here and came directly. We dared not stop them.”
Chao Yan’s expression cooled immediately. He took a handkerchief, wiped the ink from his face, and turned to Gu Yun.
“Go wait in the side room. Once I’ve led them elsewhere, you may come out.”
Gu Yun nodded.
Chao Yan then strode from the study to greet his guests. His smile was courteous but distant. “Aunt.”
His gaze shifted briefly to the pretty young woman beside her. “Cousin.”
He gestured toward another part of the residence.
“Let’s continue this visit elsewhere. This study isn’t suitable for receiving guests.”
