“Jingyan, you are experienced in leading armies, we want to hand over control of the Capitol Patrol to you, what do you think?”
At these words, Xiao Jingyan was stunned into silence for the second time today, so that for a long time after the Emperor"s question, he was unable to form a reply.
At first, the Emperor waited patiently. He thought Prince Jing"s silence was due to deliberation over how to express his grat.i.tude, and felt that since this son of his had spent most of the recent years leading armies outside of the capital, and seldom received imperial favour, it was natural that his response time would be slower and his words less sweet when compared to Prince Yu, and so it would be not trouble to wait a little longer.
But as he waited and waited, the Emperor gradually began to realize that something was wrong.
Prince Jing"s expression was growing less and less like that of someone considering how to express thanks, and instead looked as if he was considering whether or not to accept this responsibility.
Displeasure arose in the Emperor"s heart.
It was not as if Prince Jing had not been in court when the Crown Prince and Prince Yu had fought so desperately over this position, and now it was being handed to him on a golden platter, surely hesitation was not the appropriate response, to say nothing of falling to his knees in grat.i.tude the way anyone else might have done.
“Jingyan, are you afraid of the hard work?” The Emperor asked coldly.
“Your son would not dare,” Prince Jing knelt hurriedly. “Your son is deeply touched by Father"s great kindness, it is only….”
“Only what?”
Prince Jing hesitated for a moment, and then drew himself together and said, “It is nothing…. Your son accepts this responsibility, and will henceforth discharge all related duties to the best of my ability, so as not to betray the trust Father Emperor has placed in me.”
Though Prince Jing had not answered the question, the Emperor thought he understood his hesitation. Although Prince Jing"s lack of enthusiasm following this imperial favour had irritated him a little, it was a great comfort to him that this son of his evidently had no wish or intention to join in the fight for the throne that was currently dividing his court.
“You do not need to worry too much,” the Emperor said, patting Prince Jing on the shoulder as he spoke. “You are a prince, and an accomplished military general, what is leading this little Capitol Patrol compared to that? Father Emperor is here to support you, and we will see who dares to say anything. In the days to come, if anyone tries to wrong you, be sure to tell Father Emperor, and we will certainly see that justice is done.”
Actually, the reason Prince Jing had hesitated just now was not as simple as the Emperor believed. Since he had taken on the goal of attaining the throne, naturally any additional power was welcome, and the only reason he had hesitated was because his influence was still weak at the moment, and he did not want to suddenly appear to be receiving too much imperial favour, for fear of attracting the Crown Prince and Prince Yu"s attention. But since the Emperor had offered this favour in person, he had no time to consult Su Zhe for advice, and so he could only grit his teeth and accept the responsibility, and deal with the consequences later.
Throughout this entire process, Consort Jing had stood quietly to one side, as if the matter had nothing to do with her at all. It was only when father and son seemed to have concluded their conversation that she came forward with a bowl of snow clam soup, saying in her gentle voice, “Has His Majesty taken his afternoon nap yet today? How about having a few spoonfuls of soup and then taking your rest here in your servant"s rooms?”
The Emperor accepted the bowl and took a sip. This soup tasted even richer and purer than the snow crab soup he was accustomed to, and a crisp sweetness lingered on the tongue even after swallowing. He finished half the bowl almost unthinkingly, and then rinsed his mouth before allowing Consort Jing to lower him onto the bed, a pillow under his head, its sweet fragrance filling his nose as he lay down.
“What kind of pillow is this?”
“Your Majesty, it is made of cotton with sun-dried honeysuckle at its core, as well as plum flowers and lotus leaves and a variety of other medicinal herbs. If Your Majesty likes it, your servant will be glad to st.i.tch a new one for Your Majesty"s use.”
“Good, good.” The Emperor felt his entire body relaxing and closed his eyes, only to open them again. “If we are taking our afternoon rest here, then Jingyan must leave. The two of you do not often have the chance to dine together, have we interrupted you?”
“Serving Your Majesty is your servant"s first and foremost duty,” Consort Jing smiled. “His Majesty will frighten Jingyan if he speaks in this way.”
The Emperor chuckled, and then turned towards Prince Jing and said, “Jingyan, we have disturbed the two of you today, and naturally must make amends. From this day forward, you may enter Zhiluo Palace to visit your mother as you please, and do not need to obtain imperial permission.”
He had bestowed favour after favour today in almost unprecedented generosity, but only this last favour generated the antic.i.p.ated reaction. Consort Jing"s smile spread across her face, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and Prince Jing"s face lit up in joy as he fell forward into an emphatic bow. “Your son…thanks Father Emperor for his great generosity!”
The Emperor"s favour had always been the compa.s.s around which the palace oriented itself. Although he had only come to take a nap and drop off a few gifts, everyone was realizing that Zhiluo Palace was beginning to catch the imperial gaze. After the Emperor left, guests arrived bearing their own gifts, a steady stream that did not let up until nightfall. At sunset, when the time came for Consort Jing to attend the Empress, even she especially inquired after Consort Jing"s afternoon with the Emperor, taking the opportunity to send a few well-aimed remarks at Consort Yue at the same time. But Consort Yue, well-versed in the intricate games of the Inner Palace, showed not the slightest trace of envy, and instead smiled with loving tenderness as she joined in the praises for Consort Jing, and in so doing silently returning the Empress" challenge. These two, enemies since their first days in the palace, continued exchanging barbs as sharp as knives, their tongues like swords hidden behind simpering lips and murderous smiles. It was Consort Jing, the origin of today"s excitement, who stood quietly through it all, almost blending into the background in her stillness, the very picture of serenity, so that all who looked upon her couldn"t help but sigh in secret admiration.
This latest wave of excitement in the palace had not yet been reported to the now-famous Su Manor. And so, when Meng Zhi slipped in quietly for a visit, he only came across Mei Changsu reading under his lamp at his table, as always.
“Lately, both your health and your mood seem to be well, it puts me at ease.” The Commander General of the Imperial Guard gave a relaxed smile. “What book is that? Are you writing annotations in the margin?”
“It is ‘Soaring over the Earth: A Chronicle‘. It records both culture and geography in an interesting manner as well as with great accuracy, and is surely the best subst.i.tute to travelling to such places in person,” Mei Changsu smiled as he set down the thin brush in his hand. “I have been to some of the places it mentions, and so am adding a few of my own remarks, it is just idle leisure to pa.s.s the time.”
Meng Zhi moved over for a closer look, and seeing that Mei Changsu seemed to be in a good mood, finally brought up a question he had been wanting to ask for a long time. “Your handwriting is much changed from before, did you purposefully train yourself in this way?”
“You may say it was with purpose, and you may say it was without choice.” Mei Changsu closed the book and laid it to one side. “The strength in my wrists is now much reduced, so the thickness of each brushstroke is changed, and the calligraphy itself must be simplified. Now, if I were to try to write even a few words in the style to which I was accustomed in the past, I only fear I would be unable.”
Meng Zhi regretted raising such an obviously painful topic and hurriedly sought to change the subject. “I hear you would not allow Mu Qing to apply for imperial permission to return to Yunnan, is that true?”
“Yes,” Mei Changsu poured a cup of tea for his guest and pushed it towards him. “Mu Qing initially stayed in the capital for the Grand Empress Dowager"s sake. Now, it has not been long since she was laid to rest, and Mu Qing is in a hurry to leave, this will first make him appear cold of heart, and second will arouse the Emperor"s suspicions. It is not as if Mu Qing is in any danger at the moment, so why not stay for another year yet, and spend the time learning and training here, there could be no harm in that.”
“You have a point,” Meng Zhi nodded. “Although Mu Qing is not of the imperial clan, the Grand Empress Dowager has always doted on the younger generations. To say nothing of the royal family, even the Princesses who married into the family and the children of princes and dukes who did not bear the royal surname – who among them did not call her Grandmother or Great-Grandmother in private? It is only natural for him to spend a year in the capital keeping her vigil out of filial piety.”
Mei Changsu gazed into the glow of the lamp beside him and said lowly, “She loved the children, and this the children knew in their hearts. And so, even Mu Qing with his temper immediately heeded my advice to withhold his request and agreed to stay in the capital to keep his vigil of piety. If Nihuang were able to return as well, I only fear she would have done so long ago….”
Meng Zhi was starting to feel as if he was putting his foot into his mouth with every sentence he spoke today, as if he had come just to disturb Mei Changsu"s peaceful leisure, and he hurriedly lifted the cup of tea to his lips as he sought yet another change of topic. “Xia Dong has been quiet lately, there"s been no sign of any trouble. But when I remember that temper of hers from the past, I must say this quiet is all the more frightening. Do you think Xia Jiang has noticed anything?”
“For the Xuanjing Bureau, I only wish to observe matters as they unfold. It is as I have always said – Xia Dong is not to be underestimated. Now that she has learned the truth, no matter how much she once revered her shifu, she will be wary and vigilant now, and she is more than capable of protecting herself, so it is hardly my place to worry over her. Whether Xia Jiang has noticed or not is of little importance. Let them have their confrontation. This, as well as Xia Chun and Xia Qiu"s reaction, I wish to see.” Mei Changsu"s tone of voice as he spoke seemed even more ruthless than it had before the national mourning, and a cold hard light was in his eyes as he continued, “I am certain Nie dage‘s widow will not disappoint me….”
“Xiao Shu,” Meng Zhi looked at him intently, about to speak when Li Gang came running in to the room.
“Chief, Prince Yu is about to enter, he came rushing straight towards you as soon as he got off his carriage, we couldn"t stop him at all….”
Mei Changsu"s brow furrowed. He knew Meng Zhi could not be certain of leaving unseen at this rate, and immediately stood and opened the door to the hidden tunnel. He shoved his ‘Soaring over the Earth: A Chronicle‘ into Meng Zhi"s hands as he pushed him inside, all while saying swiftly, “I must trouble the Commander General to spend some time reading here, when Prince Yu has gone, we will continue our conversation.”
Meng Zhi complied without a word, and the door to the tunnel had just been closed when Prince Yu"s footsteps were heard. Mei Changsu turned to receive him, indicating as he did so for Li Gang as well as Zhen Ping, who had followed Prince Yu into the room, to retreat.
“Mister Su, did you know the matter of the Capitol Patrol"s leadership has already been decided?” Prince Yu did not waste any time with pleasantries, and he spoke with his teeth gritted and a dark expression on his face.
“Oh?” Mei Changsu raised an eyebrow. “From Your Highness" appearance, could it be that I guessed wrongly?”
“You did not guess wrong, Father Emperor indeed did not allow the Ministry of War to claim the position,” Prince Yu"s tone was extremely unhappy. “He gave the position to Prince Jing.”
This time, Mei Changsu was truly a little surprised. “Prince Jing? When did this occur?”
“This very afternoon. There was no sign of this decision beforehand, and His Majesty did not seek anyone"s advice before suddenly, it was done.”
“I do not understand why Your Highness is angry,” Mei Changsu said indifferently. “Is it not a good thing for the position to fall to Prince Jing? At least he is just and fair, and Your Highness does not have to worry about him favouring the Crown Prince.”
“If Prince Jing were truly only Prince Jing, then I would be content to see this matter decided as such, but….” Prince Yu had a special kind of sensitivity towards hie enemies, and at this moment, this particular awareness was in full force. “Doesn"t Mister Su feel that Prince Jing has been rising a little too quickly recently? Since he accepted the Land Infringement Case, Father Emperor"s favour towards him has been increasing by the day, even the court officials have been praising him more and more, and his renown lately seems to be rising to the heavens. And all the newly appointed officials in the court seem to have a very good impression of him, and though he does not show any sign of taking sides or ama.s.sing support for his own claim, the Prince Jing of today is certainly not the same Prince Jing who returned to the capital last year.”
Mei Changsu appeared to be considering this very carefully before he said, “When everything is laid out in this way, it does seem a little suspicious. But even if Prince Jing had ambitions of his own, it would be difficult for them to come to fruition without any support. Is Your Highness certain that he has not been gathering support for his own claim?”
“That is what Qin Banruo has reported. But lately, Qin Banruo……has been a little disappointing. Many things she only knew about after the fact, and some information was even wrong. She suspects there may be traitors in her network, otherwise her connections would not be so neatly cut, without leaving any trace or sign to be followed.”
Mei Changsu tapped his fingers lightly on his desk and said slowly, “I have never inquired much into Miss Qin"s methods. But I am sure the name list of her informers is very well-hidden, and rest a.s.sured, if she must investigate it for traitors, how could she fail to identify them?”
Something flashed across Prince Yu"s gaze, but he said nothing. He knew very well the list of the informers Qin Banruo had placed into various different households was known only to himself, her, the chief old master of his imperial household Mister Kang, and Zhu Hua, a scholar whom he trusted above anyone else. Each of these persons should have been above suspicion. Putting aside himself and Qin Banruo, Mister Kang had been a part of his household for more than twenty years, and Zhu Hua was his greatest a.s.sistant in the court as well as his wife"s own older brother……his wife"s……
Mei Changsu glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but acted as if he had not seen the mix of emotions that had flitted across Prince Yu"s face, and only continued peacefully, “His Highness came today in such a great rush, was it only because of the news that Prince Jing had been granted command of the Capitol Patrol?”
“Of course not. Father Emperor has also issued an imperial edict allowing Prince Jing to visit his mother in the palace whenever he likes, without needing to obtain imperial permission. This is a privilege given only to royal princes, and I fear he is about to rise one great step in rank, and will soon be rubbing shoulders with me. Father Emperor has neglected Concubine Jing for so many years, and then out of the blue he decides to raise her to Consort, so when you look at all of these things together, it cannot be coincidence, Father Emperor obviously means to support Prince Jing, just like that year when he….” Prince Yu came to a stop, suddenly realizing what he was going to say, and swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Just like that year when he supported you? Mei Changsu lowered his eyes to hide the cold smile in his expression, then prudently acted as if he had not understood what had almost been said, slowly continuing to trim the candle wick of the lamp before him, his expression as tranquil as a cloud in a gentle breeze.
“Mister Su,” Prince Yu was a little incensed by his nonchalance, and could not help the anger that leaked through in his tone. “I am not joking, and the way Mister is acting now, it is as if you are not taking to heart my current situation!”
Mei Changsu slowly put down his scissors and turned to face Prince Yu, his gaze cool as water, enough to quench the fire that had been almost palpably burning over the skin of this royal prince. When he spoke, his voice was as calm as a windless lake.
“Your Highness Prince Yu, since you have already seen that this is His Majesty"s imperial will, what more is there to worry about?”