[The Crown Prince is Punished (Part 2)]
The Crown Prince panicked instantly upon hearing this. The jade pendant was the token he had sent out yesterday via his messenger to order the Junior Minister of the Imperial Horses to clean up the aftermath. By all logic, the matter should have been resolved; why was this pendant now in his Imperial Father’s hands? “Your son lost a jade pendant a few days ago and has been unable to find it…”
“Can a pendant be ‘lost’ all the way outside the palace walls?” the Emperor questioned sharply.
At these words, the Crown Prince lost his wits entirely. He could only murmur, “Your son… does not know.”
He didn’t know where the mistake had occurred, and he was even more terrified that his father would discover the truth about the incident at the martial arts field. “Perhaps it was picked up by a palace servant…”
The Emperor’s expression remained cold, clearly dissatisfied with the Prince’s explanation. “Last night, a fire broke out in the capital outskirts, burning the stables of the Court of the Imperial Horses to the ground.”
The Crown Prince was completely dazed; he hadn’t known about the fire and hadn’t received any news. That jade should have been in the hands of the Junior Minister. He didn’t dare guess what had happened, nor did he know how much his father truly knew… In his state of mental disarray, he didn’t dare look up. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Ying Fusheng standing beside him, and for a fleeting second, he thought he saw a flash of mockery in the other’s eyes.
That look was not concealed. It struck the Crown Prince’s nerves instantly. Ever since the incident at Moon-Viewing Pavilion, nothing had gone right—his credit at the palace banquet was snatched away, and the Shen Yunfei he despised had become his brother’s study companion… Since meeting Ying Fusheng, his carefully laid plans had been thrown into chaos.
‘If only this person didn’t exist…’
“Father, perhaps there is a misunderstanding regarding the jade pendant,” Ying Fusheng spoke up, taking the initiative to explain.
The Emperor looked at the silent Crown Prince, then at Ying Fusheng who was trying to mediate. “Crown Prince, I am asking you.”
The Crown Prince’s mind was a mess. “Your son… does not know.”
A shadow crossed the Emperor’s eyes; he was clearly displeased with the Prince’s answer.
The hall fell into a heavy silence. The Crown Prince’s thoughts were a chaotic jumble, and he was utterly witless.
Just then, Eunuch Rong entered and reported in a low voice, “Your Majesty, Senior Minister Xu has arrived.”
The Emperor’s brow furrowed slightly at the mention of Senior Minister Xu. Ying Fusheng noted this momentary shift in expression. Soon, the Emperor waved his hand for Eunuch Rong to bring him in.
A moment later, footsteps sounded outside the hall.
Ying Fusheng looked over and saw an elderly man approaching.
When Senior Minister Xu entered, the hall grew even quieter.
His hair was white, and he walked with the refined aura of a scholar-official, bowing deeply to the Emperor.
Upon seeing him, the Emperor’s tense expression softened slightly. “Senior Minister, you have come?”
“I heard Your Majesty was troubled by the military pay case; it is my duty to share Your Majesty’s burdens.” Senior Minister Xu presented a memorial. “Regarding the rumors of selling official posts in court, I have ordered a thorough investigation. All implicated officials are listed within, with ironclad evidence.”
The Emperor had it brought to him. As he scanned the contents, his brow relaxed. “The Senior Minister has been most diligent.”
The Crown Prince felt as if he had found his pillar of support the moment Senior Minister Xu arrived. Ying Fusheng stood quietly, observing the old man. As the leader of the Qingliu faction, Senior Minister Xu held a position of high prestige in the Senior Ministers and rarely stepped forward personally to handle affairs. He had the face of a refined scholar with a gentle temperament—his features bearing some resemblance to Empress Xu—but beneath this scholarly grace lay a profound and calculating mind. In the “future,” it was this man who would exhaust his efforts for the Crown Prince, toppling the First Prince’s faction and successfully placing a fake prince on the throne.
The Crown Prince’s plot with the Junior Minister of the Imperial Horses to startle the horse was likely an act of unauthorized initiative. Senior Minister Xu had come here to bail him out.
The assassination of Vice Minister Shen, the bribery in the imperial exams… someone needed to be held accountable.
That memorial was Senior Minister Xu’s offering, and with it, his Imperial Father’s objective had been achieved.
The old man’s gaze fell upon Ying Fusheng from a distance. The season was turning to spring and the snow was melting; most people had shed their heavy winter clothes. Yet Ying Fusheng remained wrapped in thick layers, appearing even more frail than his peers—so thin he seemed unable to bear the weight of his own robes. He stood silently to the side as if none of this concerned him, his eyes as still as a frozen pond. For such a young lad, his face showed not a single flaw or crack in his composure. He looked exactly like a timid prince who was somewhat frightened by the summons—fitting the “weak and cowardly” profile in the palace intelligence, and bearing no resemblance to the slick-tongued Vice Minister Ning.
‘If he were my student, I would think him steady—a moldable talent.’
‘But he is a Prince.’
Senior Minister Xu looked away. Beside him, the anxiety in the Crown Prince’s eyes was almost impossible to hide until the old man spoke: “Your Majesty, regarding the martial arts field, the Crown Prince is of a kind nature; I fear he was manipulated by those with ulterior motives. Many officials are involved in the Court of the Imperial Horses; a detailed investigation is still required.”
From his high seat, the Emperor’s rage had already been smoothed over by the Senior Minister’s memorial. He looked at the Crown Prince kneeling on the floor, the displeasure in his eyes turning into disappointment. Glancing then at the Senior Minister who had come specifically for this purpose, his expression deepened. Finally, he spoke: “Enough. The Crown Prince’s conduct has been deficient. He is to be grounded for two months to transcribe the Ancestral Instructions and reflect upon his actions.”
The Crown Prince froze and looked up abruptly.
As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, he had never been punished so severely. He felt lightheaded; he could hardly stand.
‘Shen Yunfei is nothing but the son of a criminal official…’
But the Emperor no longer had any interest in speaking with him; he waved his hand and left directly.
Ying Fusheng gave a slight bow to Senior Minister Xu and also exited the hall.
“Grounded for two months; the Crown Prince ought to reflect.”
Senior Minister Xu spoke calmly: “Your actions were rash, and you took liberties without consultation. Your mother, the Empress, is very worried.”
The Crown Prince was filled with resentment: “Grandfather, I…”
Senior Minister Xu bowed and took his leave, leaving the Crown Prince standing alone in the hall.
Upon exiting, a palace servant stood waiting with a slight bow. Senior Minister Xu did not turn to look directly at them, his peripheral vision lingering instead on a figure walking away in the distance. He spoke slowly: “Go tell the Empress that the Crown Prince is safe for now. However, he must be mindful of his words and deeds hereafter. His Majesty’s mind is unpredictable; it is no longer convenient to wade into these murky waters.”
The servant respectfully complied, and Senior Minister Xu departed from the side hall of Wenhua.
Back in Wenhua Hall, school had been dismissed for the day. When the Crown Prince and the Sixth Highness had been summoned away, Shen Yunfei had truly broken into a cold sweat. Being one of the few who knew the inner truth, he was aware that the Sixth Highness had been strategizing for the Shen family. He feared the Prince would be implicated for helping them; it was only when he saw Ying Fusheng’s silhouette approaching from afar that his heart finally settled.
However, as he drew near, he saw Ying Fusheng stop in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the path in the distance.
The Emperor’s retinue had long since vanished, and there were only a few scattered palace servants moving about. He couldn’t understand what the Prince was looking at: “Sixth Highness?”
Ying Fusheng snapped out of his trance and turned back, the light in his eyes dimming slightly as he looked toward the side hall.
Palace servants were moving back and forth, and the elder who had specifically rushed to Wenhua Hall was nowhere to be seen. But Ying Fusheng knew that his presence there with the Emperor must have already been noticed by many.
Ying Fusheng retracted his gaze slightly. ‘The Xu family truly moves fast.’
The current Crown Prince was still young; his behavioral flaws were easily exposed with a little prodding.
But the one who was truly difficult to deal with was not the Prince at this stage, but the massive, overwhelming web of power entrenched behind him.
Senior Minister Xu. In his past life, Ying Fusheng had dealt with this maternal grandfather more than once and knew the elaborate traps he had laid for the Crown Prince. This elder, whose students were spread across the world, had poured immense effort into the Crown Prince; one could say he had orchestrated everything for the heir and was the architect of the Prince’s power in the future. In his previous life, when Ying Fusheng discovered the truth of his own identity, he had once sought help from this grandfather of renowned reputation. Yet, that letter of appeal had vanished like a stone dropped into the ocean. In the end, all he received was a message from the man’s secret guards:
‘The Prince is weak and incompetent; a sickly body cannot bear great responsibilities…’
By the time Ying Fusheng died in his past life, his “grandfather” had become a veteran official serving his third reign, a statesman plotting for the world, and a trusted confidant of the new Emperor.
The Xu family had chosen the new Emperor, which meant they were strangers to him.
“Your Highness,” Shen Yunfei called out again.
Ying Fusheng suddenly snapped back to reality. As his mind cleared, the scene before him was the melting spring snow—not that desolate wasteland of the Cold Palace. “School is over. Why have you come out to find me instead of leaving?”
“The Grand Tutor dismissed us. His Majesty… he didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?” Shen Yunfei asked with some trepidation.
Ying Fusheng tilted his head upon hearing this, looking perplexed by Shen Yunfei’s question. “You should be asking me: what has become of the Shen family?”
“As for that fire last night, the Qi family already knows.”
Shen Yunfei stiffened at the mention of the Qi family. Last night, the moment he set the fire, he had heard the movement of the Qi Family Army; they had noticed the Imperial Horses almost simultaneously with his actions. If not for the Sixth Highness reminding him to leave an escape route, he might not have escaped from Qi Hanzhou’s secret perimeter. “Was I discovered by Young General Qi?”
Hearing Shen Yunfei treat Qi Hanzhou as a formidable enemy, Ying Fusheng’s expression remained natural. He chuckled softly: “He has a ‘wolf’s nose’—it’s hard to guard against. Regarding the other point I mentioned: we only need the Qi family to know that someone set a fire, and someone wants to save your Shen family. That is enough; there is no need for them to dig deeper.”
Shen Yunfei looked at the Sixth Highness standing before him, who was shorter than himself. The new year had begun, and after his next birthday, the Sixth Highness would only be eleven.
Yet the Prince possessed none of a youth’s innocence. Even his own father spoke of Qi Hanzhou with dread, yet in the Sixth Highness’s eyes, there seemed to be a profound understanding of the man—even using a description like “wolf’s nose.” That was the Young General of the Qi family, a man who could seize an enemy commander’s head while on horseback.
Ying Fusheng looked at him. “What are you thinking?”
Caught in his thoughts, Shen Yunfei was about to explain, but Ying Fusheng was uninterested in his musings. He looked into the distance where a furtive palace servant was retreating and said succinctly: “The military pay case has reached a conclusion. For the next few days, we likely shouldn’t meet again.”
Shen Yunfei heard the distance in his tone, but he also knew that they must maintain a gap between them for now.
He had no choice but to take his leave. As he left, he saw the palace servant beside the Sixth Prince swap out the Prince’s hand warmer. He was momentarily dazed… ‘Is his body truly that weak?’
As the crowd in Wenhua Hall dispersed, Song An finished packing their things. He provided the Prince with a fresh hand warmer and whispered: “Bi Zhu was here just now.”
With palace servants from various quarters coming and going outside Wenhua Hall, it was easy for spies to blend in. During the Emperor’s personal visit, the consorts’ informants had all arrived.
Where the Emperor and Crown Prince were concerned, certain rumors would spread much faster than anticipated.
“The news of the Crown Prince’s punishment will spread quickly.” Ying Fusheng gripped the hand warmer, his gaze fixed upon it. As he rubbed the surface, waves of heat seeped into his fingertips, alleviating the chill in his body. He paused for a moment, and when he spoke again, his tone had grown a few degrees colder: “You haven’t sent news to Weiyang Palace in a long time. She might endure it for a month or two, but this is the one thing she cannot tolerate.”
“Remember, when you go, bring some soothing incense to her on my behalf.”
Song An’s expression jolted at these words. Seeing the icy look in the Prince’s eyes, he replied, “Your servant will see to it immediately.”
Within forty-five minutes, the news of the Crown Prince’s punishment had spread throughout the Imperial City, sending ripples through the palace quarters.
Detailed information was scarce, and no one knew exactly why he was being punished, but those who had eavesdropped reported that the Emperor was in a towering rage—he had even smashed the Prince’s jade pendant.
Since being named heir apparent, the Crown Prince had enjoyed the Emperor’s profound favor and had never faced severe discipline. This heavy penalty appeared to many as a truly rare and significant omen.
Furthermore, in stark contrast to the Prince’s disgrace, Cining Palace received an imperial gift of Peiyuan pills. The Emperor, mindful of the Sixth Highness’s frail health, had specifically bestowed these medicinal tonics upon him.
As the news of the reward and the punishment spread, gossip was everywhere.
But soon, the capital was thrown into total chaos by another major development!
Two days after the fire on the outskirts, shocking news broke regarding the military pay case that had gripped the court. In the charred stables of the Imperial Horses, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had discovered a massive cache of unclaimed grain and fodder hidden in the storage bins. Much of it had been burned, and some of the grain had spilled out of scorched burlap sacks mixed among the debris… using the fodder as cover, the most stunning discovery came during the post-fire cleanup: a small portion of buried official silver was found beneath the stables.
This was the unlaundered salary silver, hidden in the stables for who knows how long. Had it not been for the fire, no one would have known that official silver was concealed there.
The Junior Minister of the Imperial Horses committed suicide out of fear, dying in the middle of the street, and all officials connected to him were taken into custody.
Normally, finding official silver at the Imperial Horses wouldn’t be out of the ordinary, given that their carriages traveled throughout the country and handled countless shipments of grain and funds daily. However, the appearance of unclaimed grain alongside the silver prompted the supervisor, Qi Hanzhou, to order a thorough investigation of the Imperial Horses and all related offices. They made the startling discovery that the “missing” military pay had been hidden in various locations across the capital region all along. It had never even left the capital, hidden right under everyone’s noses until now.
This news sent shockwaves through the entire court, implicating a long string of officials.
The Emperor was furious and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a scorched-earth investigation. Vice Minister of War Shen Changcun was cleared of his wrongful accusations. Because his “report” had been instrumental in the discovery, his final sentence—accounting for his negligence—was a demotion from Vice Minister of War to Junior Minister of the Imperial Horses, along with a three-month fine of his salary.
After the court session was dismissed, Eunuch Rong hurried his pace to catch up with the departing young general. “Young General, please wait. His Majesty requests your presence.”
The veteran generals and uncles nearby saw this and gave Qi Hanzhou a supportive pat on the shoulder.
Qi Hanzhou bid them farewell and followed Eunuch Rong.
“The Young General has only just arrived at court, yet the military pay case has already been solved, relieving His Majesty’s burdens,” Eunuch Rong said as they walked. “This case has troubled His Majesty for a long time. Now that the truth has come to light, it is enough to appease the heroic spirits of General Chen’s manor.”
Qi Hanzhou understood the implication behind the words: “To relieve His Majesty’s worries is my honor.”
Eunuch Rong smiled. Seeing the solemn face of the youth, who was barely fourteen, he knew well how swift and decisive the boy’s actions had been—first using the Qi Family Army to intimidate the capital garrison, then surrounding officials in the dead of night. He possessed a true youthful spirit. “Young General, you bear quite a resemblance to General Qi when he was young.”
At the mention of Qi Shen, Qi Hanzhou couldn’t help but glance over.
Eunuch Rong said no more; they had arrived at Qianqing Palace.
Inside, the Emperor had not yet removed his court robes. Several memorials were spread open on the desk before him. “Hanzhou has arrived.”
Qi Hanzhou had grown tall; though still a youth, the boyishness had vanished from his face.
The Emperor had watched him grow up, and seeing him as he was now, a look of gratification appeared in his eyes.
“Your father will set out for the border in a few days. Now that the war has ceased and you have handled the military pay case well, I have discussed it with your father: there is a temporary vacancy for the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. You shall stay behind to gain experience.” The Emperor spoke in a gentle tone, treating Qi Hanzhou like the son of a dear friend. Seeing Qi Hanzhou remain silent, he chuckled softly. “What? Do you still wish to return to the North?”
Qi Hanzhou paused. “Your servant…”
“You have stayed at the border with your father since you were a child; your time in the capital has been far too short. Keeping you here is also your father’s intention.” The Emperor looked at him, his hand pausing as he turned a page of a memorial. “The Qi family is the most useful blade for the Imperial House. A prized sword requires years of honing—and people are the same.”
The warning was left at that. Qi Hanzhou’s posture stiffened slightly, fully understanding the deep meaning behind the Emperor’s words.
……
By the time Qi Hanzhou left the palace, the command plaque of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was already in his hand. Eunuch Rong walked with him until he disappeared at the far edge of the Imperial City.
Seeing that he had walked out of earshot, a fellow eunuch traveling with Rong asked, “Godfather, why are you being so courteous to the young General Qi?”
“The members of the Qi family were born to be the Emperor’s inner circle; since the reign of the previous Emperor, they have been the Imperial House’s primary blade.” Eunuch Rong watched the distant, receding figure. “That boy is a vengeful spirit who crawled out of the city of You Prefecture. Do not be fooled by his youth—four years ago, when he was nothing more than a child, he managed to drag his senior brother’s corpse out from that city of ghosts.”