The border.
The sun hung high in the sky, shining brilliantly.
Qu Dubian was in the armory. With his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and one foot resting on a wooden block, he was using a ruler to measure the dimensions of a component in his hand.
When Xia Fuyang came looking for him, he was just raising a hand to wipe some sawdust off his face.
"Little Seven."
Qu Dubian knew who it was just from the footsteps. He gave a grunt of acknowledgment, still busy with the work in his hands. "Speak if you have something to say."
Xia Fuyang handed him a tool. "My father sent word. He said there's a lot of discontent in the capital regarding your refusal to let Marquis Xu return to the capital. Some of the talk is extremely malicious."
"Grandfather is severely injured and cannot be moved, Physician Yang's letter made that perfectly clear," Qu Dubian said, a drop of sweat falling from his forehead onto the wooden board, his focus unbroken. "I can't possibly risk my grandfather's life just because of their speculations."
Xia Fuyang said, "What they think doesn't matter. What matters is what His Majesty will think."
"The memorial has already been submitted. What I wrote about Grandfather being severely injured is the truth. Whether he believes it or not, I'm not going to let Grandfather go back."
To put it bluntly, in Grandfather's current condition, he might not even survive the bumps of the journey.
Even if the Old Geezer played hardball and issued an edict forcing Grandfather to leave, he would defy the edict and refuse to comply.
However, things wouldn't escalate to that point. At most, the Old Geezer would feel a knot in his heart; he wouldn't be so shameless or cowardly to that extent.
Qu Dubian tossed the wooden board in his hand onto the ground and was about to go to the side to grab some nails, but the sun momentarily blinded him. His vision blurred for a second, and he missed his footing.
Before he could pull off a handsome sideways flip to steady himself, Xia Fuyang grabbed him.
Qu Dubian shook his head. It took two or three seconds for his eyes to focus before he could clearly see Xia Fuyang's face. The guy had a rather serious expression.
"You have heavy dark circles under your eyes. What time have you been going to sleep these past few days?"
"I'm young, so I need less sleep," Qu Dubian said, slowly brushing his hand away. "Don't be jealous."
The truth was that his body was too healthy. So much so that after all this time, his sense of smell was still holding on, lingering on the borderline between failing and still having some sensation. It hadn't been completely destroyed, which meant the simulator couldn't record it yet, and he couldn't adjust his pain threshold.
While he marveled at his own physical constitution, he also suffered from headaches at night and couldn't sleep.
Xia Fuyang said, "...Don't change the subject." He lowered his voice. "I grew up watching you. Anyone close to you knows how prone you are to getting sick. Are you feeling unwell?"
Just now, this guy's eyes had lost focus; he clearly looked a bit dizzy.
Qu Dubian touched his own head. "Then maybe it's a bit of heatstroke. I'm not used to the weather in the Northern Frontier."
This explanation was relatively reasonable.
When Xia Fuyang first arrived, he hadn't quite adapted either. Not to mention the drastic temperature difference between day and night, the sun was also exceptionally harsh.
"Then stop working for now. Let's talk about it tonight."
He pulled Qu Dubian to a shaded area to rest and had someone bring over a bowl of mung bean soup, watching as Qu Dubian drank it mouthful by mouthful.
Xia Fuyang was still not entirely at ease. "Let's call the military doctor to take a look."
"Please don't," Qu Dubian refused. "What's the big deal about heatstroke? We are in a period of preparing for war. If the military doctor comes over, the subordinates will see it and think something serious has happened to me."
He extended his wrist and lifted his chin. "You check my pulse."
People with true qi generally knew how to check a pulse. Although they couldn't diagnose illnesses, they could judge whether a person was internally weak by feeling the strength of their pulse.
Xia Fuyang pinched his wrist. After a moment, he said, "It's true, there's nothing wrong. You're not weak."
It wasn't his fault for overreacting; he had just gotten used to it when they were kids.
Feeling relieved, he said, "The people from the Inspectorate locked in the prison are kicking up more and more of a fuss. Prince Ming has come looking for you twice, saying it's not good to lock them up for too long. He can't stall on his end anymore either. If there really is no evidence, we should release a few of them first."
Without a clear investigation and without evidence, there was no way to report the suspicion of a mole to the Emperor. They could only stall and beat around the bush.
Prince Ming probably couldn't hold out much longer.
Qu Dubian said, "Oh, then move them to a bigger cell."
Liuliu had captured two informants from the Northern Frontier, but they were tight-lipped. One had committed suicide, and the other still stubbornly refused to confess, but whenever he heard the word Inspectorate, his eyes would dart away.
He didn't know how many more days it would take to grind him down. Actually, as long as a crack opened up, it would be fine. Once there was a crack, he would have a reason to interrogate the Inspectorate, and the process would be much faster.
"..."
Xia Fuyang patted his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.
However, he still harbored a faint worry in his heart.
Little Seven was a prince, so perhaps he lacked the cautiousness of a courtier toward His Majesty. But under imperial power, what difference was there between being a prince and a courtier?
Emperor Chongzhao's reaction was indeed as Qu Dubian had expected. He didn't make any further mandatory demands, nor did he issue a formal edict. There was only a concerned message instructing Marquis Xu to rest well.
But the courtiers who had originally proposed this suggestion jumped even higher.
Someone even directly brought up the matter of the Border Army Inspectorate.
"As soon as the Seventh Prince entered the border and won a battle, he locked up the faultless Border Army Inspectorate in prison, and they still haven't been released to this day."
"The Border Army Inspectorate has been at the border for over a decade, and this kind of situation has never happened before. Even if they don't have great achievements, they have worked hard. Isn't this action by the Seventh Prince suspected of covering His Majesty's eyes and deceiving the imperial ears?"
They were just short of outright saying that the Seventh Prince was hiding things from His Majesty while at the border.
The matter of the Inspectorate was not a secret, but Emperor Chongzhao had suppressed it previously, which was why no one had brought it up in the royal court until now.
Grand Tutor Fang said, "Utter nonsense!"
His eyes were filled with cold anger as he flicked his sleeves and said, "According to what you're saying, has the Seventh Prince become a dictator at the border? Don't forget that the son of Marquis Changping is also there. With your malicious words, where do you place Marquis Changping!"
"Lord Fang, we are only speaking of the Inspectorate's matter, we haven't mentioned anything else."
Grand Tutor Fang replied, "We are all officials in the same court. We clearly understand the meaning behind each other's words, so there's no need to powder your faces to look innocent."
He took a step forward and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, Prince Ming is still at the border. You only need to ask him to know the situation of the Inspectorate."
He knew in his heart that the Seventh Prince appearing in the courtiers' mouths every day, and the royal court discussing his situation in various ways, all started after Xu Tingfeng led the troops into battle.
A tree that stands out in the forest will inevitably be destroyed by the wind.
His disciple had shown his brilliance this time, catching the eyes of who knows how many members of the Second Prince's and Sixth Prince's factions.
The last time during the bandit suppression, it wasn't too obvious, but this time, it couldn't be hidden at all. Under the factional struggles, at the slightest sign of trouble, he would definitely be attacked by the masses.
Because they all knew that if the Seventh Prince returned smoothly this time, the situation in the royal court would change.
With military merits to his name, if things went well, the Seventh Prince might become the first among the princes to be granted a king's title.
Therefore, they could only try every possible means to pin some charges on him before his return, suppressing his momentum or planting a seed of doubt in His Majesty's heart.
However, what they didn't know was that Emperor Chongzhao had already asked Prince Ming about the Inspectorate's matter. But Prince Ming's replies were full of evasions, constantly dragging things out.
Now that the courtiers had brought it up, Emperor Chongzhao took the opportunity to send an order to Qu Dubian.
He told him not to keep the Inspectorate locked up if there was nothing serious, and to release the people. If someone in the Inspectorate had angered him, he could punish them as he pleased, but he shouldn't lock all of them up.
For the first time, Emperor Chongzhao paid such careful attention to his wording in a letter.
The phrasing was gentle, completely devoid of reprimand.
Even when dealing with his own son, Emperor Chongzhao's actions could be considered remarkably lenient.
However, the Seventh Prince refused once again.
Emperor Chongzhao's orders were like a stone dropped into the ocean. Not only did the Supervisory Bureau refuse to release anyone, but they also dragged out a few prisoners who were causing trouble in the cells and gave them a beating.
At this, the imperial court completely exploded. Memorials of impeachment from the imperial censors poured in one after another.
The atmosphere in Zichen Palace grew increasingly oppressive by the day.
The Second Prince's Manor.
"Has Seventh Brother grown arrogant just because he won a few battles?" the Second Prince said upon returning from court. "To put it lightly, his actions have provoked the court officials. To put it severely, it is a slap in Imperial Father's face."
Ice basins had already been prepared in the room, sending out a refreshing, cool breeze.
The Second Prince fanned away the heat from his body. "If I were him, I would have released a batch of them first."
Mr. Deng said, "His Majesty is certainly displeased by the Seventh Prince's actions. This is a good thing for Your Highness."
"But sir, have you ever seen Imperial Father treat anyone with such leniency?"
Among the princes, Imperial Father had always been biased toward Little Seven since childhood. Even after he disobeyed orders on the battlefield twice, Imperial Father had not issued a decree to force him to do anything.
Disobeying an order and defying an imperial decree were concepts on two completely different levels.
The Second Prince recalled how, many years ago, when Imperial Father fell into a coma from a high fever, the sons went to visit him. Yet, Imperial Father suspected their motives, feeling that their filial piety was all an act.
But as soon as Seventh Brother went, Imperial Father's attitude changed immediately.
Even if Seventh Brother glared coldly and threw a temper tantrum at the sick Imperial Father, the joy in Imperial Father's eyes was still evident.
Meanwhile, their careful and cautious attendance could not even earn a single smile from Imperial Father.
The one raised by his side since childhood was ultimately different from the rest of them.
Mr. Deng sighed. "Indeed. If it were the First Prince at the border, His Majesty would probably have long since ordered him to act according to his command."
The Second Prince said, "Imperial Father is highly suspicious. Even if he had no doubts initially, after two refusals, he should have developed some suspicions."
"With the censors' impeachments, along with our people and the Sixth Prince's people, His Majesty should make his stance clear and issue another order at court tomorrow. If the Seventh Prince refuses again... His Majesty will absolutely be furious," Mr. Deng asserted.
After all, how could he save face otherwise?
The Second Prince did not reply. He stood up and fiddled with the flower arrangement on the table.
Aside from having a weaker constitution, Seventh Brother had always been the one to be envied.
Even though his birth mother passed away, Consort Xuan later gave him a mother's care. Furthermore, he possessed the rare affection of Imperial Father within the royal family.
Since childhood, he had lived freely and without a care in the world.
It made people envious, and it also made them jealous.
However, Seventh Brother did not seem to realize that he was no longer a child; he was a prince, but also a subject.
A subject ought to be obedient, not defiant twice over.
The Second Prince adjusted the position of a flower in the vase, in a good mood.
Tomorrow's court session should be even more splendid.
The next day.
When Emperor Chongzhao attended court, listening to the discussions below, his expression was indeed very ugly.
However, he did not issue the reprimand to the border as they had expected. Instead, he severely scolded the court officials who had impeached the Seventh Prince.
He even had the most vocal official dragged out and beaten with twenty heavy boards as a warning to the others.
Emperor Chongzhao declared, "I have my own conclusions regarding the matters of the Supervisory Bureau. From now on, it is forbidden to bring it up again!"
Just like that, he forcefully suppressed the voices of impeachment in the court and, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, flicked his sleeves and left.
When that official was dragged out, the Second Prince could still maintain a facade of calm.
After Emperor Chongzhao left, the court officials finally dared to gradually open up discussions. Low murmurs drifted into the Second Prince's ears: "What does His Majesty mean..."
"It's hard to say he doesn't intend to shake up the power dynamics in the court. After all, besides these two instances of insubordination, the Seventh Prince is truly outstanding..."
"It seems His Majesty is supporting the Seventh Prince. What a sudden rise to power."
The Second Prince slowly raised his head, looking at Emperor Chongzhao's departing figure. The corners of his mouth gradually flattened, and a dark, turbulent look surged in his eyes.
Seventh Brother.
Zichen Palace.
After Emperor Chongzhao returned from court, he sat by the window for quite a while.
Only then did he walk over to his desk, upon which lay a new memorial that had arrived yesterday.
It was from that little brat.
The memorial contained only a single sentence:
"Imperial Father, trust me. I will not put you in a difficult position."