[Prayers of a Hundred Families]
“Take your seats—” the eunuch projected his voice, and only then did the civil and military officials rise to take their places. Guided by palace attendants, Ying Fusheng walked into the seating area, where a newly arranged seat for the princes had already been prepared.
The officials bowed in salutation. As Ying Fusheng bent his body, he caught sight of a figure in the distance through the gaps of his fingers.
When that familiar silhouette entered his vision, he saw the Emperor beneath the imperial crown. With sword-like eyebrows and eyes like stars, his expression was inscrutable. His face, younger than in Ying Fusheng’s memories of the later years, lacked none of its prestige; the aura of slaughter from the battlefield still clung to him. When his gaze swept past, the surroundings fell as silent as cicadas in winter.
Eunuchs followed behind the Emperor with lowered heads until he took his seat at the high dais. As the jade beads of his crown clinked softly, he surveyed the officials below. Without a word, the overwhelming pressure of the Son of Heaven blanketed the entire Moon-Viewing Pavilion.
The Emperor’s peripheral vision swept past the civil and military officials, landing on the head of the military officers. Seated there was the recently returned General who stabilized the north, Qi Shen. Qi Shen had removed his black armor, but years of staying vigilant even while sleeping had left him with a sense of tension unseen in ordinary men—like a coiled wolf, appearing ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment.
Behind him followed a crowd of generals. The Qi family was the Emperor’s right hand, having fought alongside him for years. In this great victory and return to the capital, the Qi family’s contributions were paramount, and the Emperor had even granted special permission for the Qi Army to remain stationed in the city outskirts. Their mere presence at the feast cast a sense of intimidation over many civil officials.
“Brother Qi,” the Emperor looked at him with a faint smile.
Qi Shen stepped forward with long strides, his back straight and movements agile. He performed a salute before the imperial dais: “Your Majesty.”
The Emperor showed a look of satisfaction, his gaze shifting to the space behind Qi Shen.
Among the tall and sturdy generals, the one following Qi Shen was a youth. He did not pale in comparison to the uncles and elders surrounding him; as he bowed alongside his father, he shared the same crisp and capable demeanor of a warrior.
The Qi family generals stood like a fortress within the palace banquet, drawing the eyes of the surrounding officials. When Ying Fusheng looked up, those formidable commanders filled his vision, especially the two at the head of the Qi clan. He lowered his eyes in deep thought, bowing his head as a distant gaze probed toward him, avoiding that pack of keen-eyed wolves.
“Today, the sovereign and his subjects shall rejoice together. There is no need for restraint; everyone, take your seats,” the Emperor declared.
With those few words, the elder statesmen of the court wished for His Majesty’s eternal peace, and the rest of the officials followed suit with their congratulations. Ying Fusheng snapped back to his senses amidst the rising waves of well-wishes. Even after being away on a campaign, the Emperor’s majesty upon returning to court had not diminished in the slightest.
In his youth, he had expanded the borders through force—decisive in slaughter yet never lacking in strategy, tempering mercy with might to create the ten-year golden age of the Great Yuan. Just like now, a single sentence from him was enough to settle the fluttering hearts of both civil and military officials.
This was his Imperial Father.
Following behind the other princes, Ying Fusheng looked up and caught a glimpse of that majestic, solemn figure on high. In his past life, the last time he saw his father, the Emperor had been in a towering rage. His final memory of him was the profound disappointment in those authoritative eyes. Without many words, the Emperor had ordered him into solitary confinement deep within the palace, severed from the outside world. Later, he was trapped in the Cold Palace until the Emperor’s passing; he was never permitted to see him one last time.
He suppressed his thoughts and took his seat as guided by the attendants.
Once the Emperor was seated, the dancers and musicians entered, and the palace banquet officially began.
At the high dais, the Emperor leaned over to converse with Empress Xu. The atmosphere between the Imperial couple was excellent, causing many to look toward the princes’ seating area. Specifically, they looked toward the Crown Prince—but upon doing so, they noticed an extra seat among the princes.
“Who is that?”
“That is the Sixth Highness.”
Many gazes landed on Ying Fusheng. The Sixth Prince was born to Consort Ning. Years ago, the Ning family had been involved in a scandal and lost the Emperor’s trust; it was only in recent years that they had gradually regained importance, with Master Ning plotting for years to eventually rise to the position of Vice Minister.
Consort Ning had remained kind and low-profile in the palace over the years, never sticking her head out, giving her an excellent reputation. Combined with the fact that the Sixth Prince was seen as mediocre in learning and physically frail, he was a figure with very little presence among the imperial siblings. Ordinarily, he rarely attended palace banquets. Many present were seeing this prince, who was usually confined to a sickbed, for the first time today, and could not help but linger their gaze on him.
Attending today’s banquet among the princes was a special permission from the Empress Dowager; his seat was placed directly behind the Crown Prince.
Noticing the many eyes on her and Ying Fusheng, Consort Ning felt a surge of resentment beneath her nervousness. ‘If this little brat hasn’t come out, there won’t be all this trouble!’
The people present today were the heavyweights of the court. It was a rare gathering of all officials; even the slightest change in the princes’ seating would be caught by these “old foxes.”
The Crown Prince was young but possessed outstanding talent, and the Empress came from the Xu family, making the Emperor’s favor inevitable. As for this Sixth Prince… the officials scanned the princes’ seats, each harboring their own hidden thoughts.
It wasn’t until the music and dancing reached a crescendo that the crowd gradually immersed themselves in the joy of the banquet.
Following the ceremonial processions and the collective celebration, the time for the presentation of gifts arrived.
The gift-giving was a major part of this national celebration, with the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet being the top priority. The imperial clan and high-ranking officials had prepared their tributes long ago. During the banquet, this was a critical segment. The current Emperor had been away at war for two years; his return to purge the court and his recent promotion of military officers meant that while these gifts were ostensibly for the Empress Dowager, they were actually a way for the great noble families to signal their attitude toward the Emperor.
As the eunuchs read out the gifts from the various clans and officials, the Emperor on his high seat merely glanced over them without saying much, occasionally asking the Empress Dowager a few questions.
Among the princes, each was lost in his own calculations.
Excluding the Fourth Prince who had died young, there were only three older princes under the current Emperor. All had moved out of the palace to establish their own manors and were placed in court for training. Except for the Third Prince who had yet to take up a formal post, the other two had achieved some success—the First Prince in the Ministry of Revenue and the Second Prince in the Ministry of Works, each with their own schemes.
As the Emperor’s eldest son, the First Prince held a unique status. He was the first to step forward, having several heavy gifts presented: weapons forged from thousand-year-old black steel. The Great Yuan valued martial arts, and the Empress Dowager came from a family of generals; the palace even had an imperial beast garden and martial arts practice grounds. When the specially made weapons were brought forth, the military officers present were unanimous in their praise. Furthermore, these weapons were custom-made for the Empress Dowager—a set of flexible swords, the very weapon she was most skilled with in her youth.
After this item appeared, the gifts from the Second and Third Princes that followed were standard and unremarkable.
At this moment, the Eighth Prince—who was supposed to be under the watch of the consorts—darted forward ahead of the others. He strode to the center of the courtyard and performed a formal salute with surprising poise. “Imperial Father, I have also prepared a birthday tribute for Grandmother!”
A flicker of helplessness crossed Empress Xu’s features. This was not the first time the Eighth Prince had used his favored status to act out of turn; rushing ahead to present a gift was far too reckless. Furthermore, the item being brought forth by the attendants was a rather flamboyant beast-taming rack.
This was one of the gifts the Empress had prepared for the Eighth Prince, and the boy had meticulously handpicked the flashiest one from the lot.
“That Little Eighth… his temper hasn’t changed a bit.” The Emperor’s expression remained as it was, showing no sign of reproach. He simply sat there, while the others at the banquet couldn’t help but study his face, trying to divine his thoughts. However, the Emperor’s preferences remained obscure; despite the many tributes presented, he had shown little emotion.
The Crown Prince maintained proper decorum, showing no irritation at having his turn usurped. He looked at the Eighth Prince with a mask of gentleness, yet a trace of relief flickered in his eyes. ‘It was fortunate I changed my tribute in advance.’
Due to his status as the heir apparent, the Crown Prince occupied the head seat of the royal section, with the other princes seated beside him.
After the Eighth Prince finished, the Crown Prince spoke up first on his behalf: “Eighth Brother has an innocent nature; he clearly put a great deal of thought into selecting this tribute.”
As expected, the Emperor turned his gaze toward the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince enjoyed profound imperial favor; combined with the brilliance he showed in his youth—which had earned him consistent praise from the Grand Tutor—he had long been established in the Eastern Palace as the heir, a position of singular prestige.
“The Crown Prince has grown quite a bit taller.” Upon returning to the capital, the Emperor had heard many in court praising the Prince. Not having seen the boy for some time, he noted that the Prince did indeed carry himself with impressive dignity.
The Empress Dowager smiled and added a few words of praise. Sipping her water, she spoke briefly of the recent circumstances of the various princes. Her peripheral vision swept over the seating area, landing on the upright figure of Ying Fusheng. “Little Sixth is also doing well.”
The Emperor’s gaze drifted to the thin, frail figure at the very end of the row. He gave a slight nod of agreement to the Empress Dowager but showed no real interest.
Amidst the silent observation, the Crown Prince rose, his gaze brushing past Ying Fusheng. Seeing the latter remain unmoved, he withdrew his gaze and strode into the courtyard. All eyes fell upon him as he spoke:
“Across the churning brine, the dragon-stallions leap, To wake the golden dust where desert spirits sleep. The northern frontiers tremble at the tiger’s lonely cry, As iron hooves stamp thunder out beneath a boundless sky. The heavy shroud of battle-smoke begins to drift and fade, Revealing Heaven’s brilliance in a terrifying shade. From four great seas to eight far winds, the clamor dies away, As all the world falls silent in the shadow of His sway.”
As soon as these words were uttered, the surrounding crowd looked on in awe. The Crown Prince was only ten years old, yet his scholarly grace was on full display. These few lines of poetry not only praised the Emperor’s martial prowess in battle but also subtly alluded to His Majesty unifying the world and receiving the worship of ten thousand people.
In the courtyard, the Crown Prince stood with a straight back, his eyes fixed solely on the Emperor upon the high throne.
The officials whispered amongst themselves. The Emperor’s gaze lingered on the Crown Prince for a long moment before he gave a slight nod. “My son’s poem has a powerful resonance; it pleases me greatly.”
Then, changing his tone, the Emperor raised a golden goblet. “However, such a feat is not achieved by my power alone. The horses trampling the sands head toward ten thousand miles of territory; it is the result of the combined efforts of the three armies, the court, and the common people. This cup of wine is a toast to the generals and virtuous officials present!”
As the Emperor spoke, the hearts of the officials swelled with emotion, and they all rose to return the toast.
Consort Ning observed the looks of appreciation from the officials—especially from those elderly officials who were usually quite arrogant. Seeing this, her tension eased slightly, and she couldn’t help but steal several proud glances at the Crown Prince. She had known that this banquet would be a gathering of the imperial clans from across the land, and she had secretly plotted for it; the incident at Moon-Viewing Pavilion had been an accident, but fortunately, her son remained unaffected.
The Crown Prince felt a surge of confidence. Seeing his Imperial Father so pleased, he waved his hand for the attendants to bring forth the tribute. “On this day of national celebration, it is also Grandmother’s birthday. This is the birthday gift I have prepared for her.”
The attendants opened two crates. One contained several neatly arranged scrolls of calligraphy and painting. Ying Fusheng watched as the first scroll was unfurled: a painting of ten thousand horses stampeding. Upon seeing the scroll, the Empress Dowager leaned forward, seemingly wanting a closer look. She loved animals, especially horses; during his time at the Cining Palace, Ying Fusheng had seen many paintings featuring horses. This “Ten Thousand Horses” painting featured sharp, crisp brushwork and an ancient elegance—it was clearly the work of a master.
By leading with poetry and then presenting this painting, the Prince had used the opportunity to both praise the Emperor’s campaign and celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday. These tributes were extremely well-calculated, overshadowing the gifts of the other princes and delighting both the Sovereign and the Dowager.
The Emperor nodded in approval, and the officials secretly praised the Prince’s wit. The Empress Dowager called out “Good!” several times; she clearly favored this gift.
The Crown Prince’s joy was evident, though he quickly masked it. “As long as Grandmother likes it. Attendants, bring forth the second gift.”
At these words, Empress Xu’s expression shifted slightly. She looked over and saw the attendants bringing forward an unfamiliar crate. She whispered to her attendant, “What is going on?” Among the gifts she had prepared for the Prince, this was not one of them.
The Empress had only sent the “Ten Thousand Horses” painting to the Prince’s palace. Before she could find an answer, the gift had already been brought forward. The crate was heavy, requiring four men to carry it.
“This is the Jade Beast Statue,” the Crown Prince said with a subtle look.
The attendants opened it to reveal statues carved from rare jade. Lifelike beasts were integrated into the raw jade material. The officials present gasped at the sight. Noticing their reaction, the Crown Prince hid the delight in his eyes. He had spent half a year collecting this jade and had ordered master craftsmen to work day and night to create these statues.
Empress Xu’s face paled. Her fingers curled slightly as she instinctively glanced at the Emperor. The Emperor’s posture remained unchanged. Facing the jade statues, he didn’t even twitch an eyebrow; his gaze lingered only for a moment before returning to a state of calm.
While others were whispering praises, Ying Fusheng remained unmoved. The wine in the goblet before him rippled slightly. His gaze landed on the military officers across the way. Unlike the civil officials, the military men carried an aura of slaughter just by sitting there. Upon seeing the jade statues, several officers in the Qi family section had their brows furrowed in deep lines.
The Crown Prince, however, failed to notice any of this. He felt that a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager could not be a mere few scrolls; compared to the officials, those would seem meager. He introduced the jade statues to the Emperor in great detail. He had originally intended to use this gift for a more important occasion, but seeing the Empress’s tepid attitude and a slight cooling of the Empress Dowager’s favor during his morning visits, he felt forced to bring out the jade statues to win back favor and show his respect to his father.
He weighed his words carefully, intending to use the statues to symbolize the bravery of the soldiers and his father’s achievements. However, his schemes and secret joy vanished into thin air the moment he met the Emperor’s expression, which was as calm as still water.
Consort Ning was feeling gratified by the Prince’s effort—to her, the lifelike jade statues were masterpieces—but then she heard the Empress Dowager say simply: “The Crown Prince has been most thoughtful.”
With those few airy words, the joy on Consort Ning’s face vanished, and the officials fell silent. Many present were shrewd enough to realize that the Empress Dowager did not particularly like this second gift.
The Crown Prince’s body stiffened. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. ‘Was there a problem with the gift? No… the Eighth Prince’s gift was even more extravagant and flashy, yet the Empress Dowager wasn’t this cold…’
He was still young. In the past, Empress Xu had always overseen his tributes. This was the first time he had made his own decision to prepare such a valuable gift. He had thought it would overshadow the officials and win the delight of the two people on the high throne. But upon sensing the shift in the Emperor and Dowager’s expressions, a rare wave of panic surged within him.
In his panic, his gaze drifted. He saw the eldest prince looking on with a schadenfreude expression and the other princes whispering among themselves. His panic turned into anger. This anger solidified when his gaze landed on another figure. Ying Fusheng sat upright in his seat, his food untouched, his expression as indifferent as someone who had no stake in the world. When their eyes met, that calm composure seemed like an unbearable eyesore to the Prince—a silent provocation.
Seeing that the jade statues were about to be taken away, the Crown Prince suddenly said, “I have heard that Sixth Brother, despite being ill for many days, has long ago prepared a birthday tribute for Grandmother.”
With this sudden shift, countless gazes landed upon Ying Fusheng. Consort Ning was surprised, but she realized that pushing Ying Fusheng forward now might provide a diversion for the Crown Prince, using him as a stepping stone.
On the high dais, Empress Xu’s eyes flickered with a subtle motion, but the Crown Prince failed to catch her prompting gaze. Instead, having brought Ying Fusheng forward, he retreated to the side. Her fingertips rested on the Buddhist beads hidden in her sleeve as she looked at the Crown Prince and Ying Fusheng, her brow slightly furrowed. When a palace maid gestured to move, the Empress waved her off, watching the courtyard in silence.
The presentation of gifts by the princes was always a highlight, and even more so with the Sixth Prince.
It was no secret that the Sixth Prince had been staying at the Cining Palace recently; what the consorts knew, the court and commoners had heard even more of.
Although His Highness was only staying there to recover from illness, given the Empress Dowager’s temperament, allowing a prince to stay with her was seen by others as a sign of favoritism. While the purpose of the banquet was celebration—and the value of a young prince’s gift was one thing—the meaning changed entirely once his stay at the Cining Palace was factored in.
Several princes and princesses settled into postures of expectant amusement.
An official nearby paused; given the Empress Dowager’s current displeasure, offering a gift at this moment could lead to disaster with the slightest slip-up…
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ying Fusheng first whispered a few words to the attendant beside him, then bowed to the figures on the high seats. He walked slowly to the Crown Prince’s side. By now, the jade beast statues had been cleared away, leaving the center of the courtyard empty. Standing beside the Crown Prince, the jade pendants hanging from his waist gleamed faintly in the pale moonlight, while his bright eyes remained calm and clear.
At that moment, the attendants brought up Ying Fusheng’s gift. Compared to the tributes of other nobles, the Sixth Prince’s crate appeared somewhat plain and was a size smaller.
Ying Fusheng nodded, and the attendants opened the crate, revealing several scrolls of paintings. When these scrolls appeared, whispers broke out nearby. So many people had presented famous paintings throughout the banquet; while it would have been harmless at any other time, following the Crown Prince’s celebratory poem and the masterwork “Ten Thousand Horses” made the outcome seem certain to everyone even before the scrolls were unfurled.
A trace of ridicule flashed in the Crown Prince’s eyes.
“The gift I have prepared consists of two paintings,” Ying Fusheng said with a slight wave of his hand, and an attendant unfurled one of them.
Any scholar could see at a glance that these two paintings were not rare masterpieces created over years. On the contrary, the ink and paper looked fresh, as if they had just been finished. Furthermore, the brushwork was immature; while the painter’s strokes had a certain grand style, they lacked practice, and the lines were not crisp enough.
The form was there, but the execution was too green. How could such a thing be displayed before the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?!
The Crown Prince initially frowned, but upon seeing such clumsy work, he stole a glance to the side—only to see his Imperial Father watching with rapt attention.
“Bring it closer,” the Emperor’s voice rang out from above.
Since the gift-giving began, this was the first painting to be brought directly before the Emperor.
Empress Xu’s gaze paused. As the painting drew near, she saw first the horses and soldiers, then moving downward, spirals of incense smoke. On closer inspection, it looked as if the incense smoke of the common people was lifting the valiant generals and steeds—it was a painting intended for “Prayers of Blessing.” This matched the very reason she had visited temples frequently in recent months. The “Ten Thousand Horses” painting she had prepared for the Crown Prince had actually been sent to a temple to be blessed for months before being presented, but the Crown Prince had failed to understand her intent. Instead, Ying Fusheng’s thoughts aligned perfectly with her own.
“While Imperial Father was fighting on the front lines, Grandmother the Empress Dowager never ceased her prayers and sutra recitations, often sending people to temples to pray for the safety and prosperity of the front,” Ying Fusheng felt the gaze from above and lowered his head in a show of humility. He spoke modestly: “The sons of Great Yuan have fought for a long time. The people of the capital pray to the gods for protection, which preserves the well-being of the soldiers and sings for the souls of those at the border.”
After the Emperor viewed it, he ordered it to be presented to the Empress Dowager. He had noticed this young child since the start of the banquet; with so many princes and princesses, he honestly couldn’t remember the boy’s face clearly. Looking at him now, he seemed different. “The Empress Dowager should take a look as well.”
The Empress Dowager already had a favorable impression of Ying Fusheng. Seeing the painting, she remembered a report that Little Sixth had requested brush and ink. Too many famous masterpieces had been sent today, but she truly loved the intent behind this painting.
The Emperor’s attitude caused the Crown Prince’s body to stiffen slightly, and Consort Ning’s face in the seating area turned incredibly pale.
Many gazes fell on Consort Ning. She had no idea Ying Fusheng had prepared this; she had told her people to just throw a couple of random things to him as a gift. Yet the items he produced were things she had never heard of. The gazes from all directions assumed she had prepared them for him. This feeling of being exposed under public scrutiny made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles; she kept a smile on her face, but she was nearly shredding her handkerchief in private.
The matter was far from over. As the crowd discussed the first painting, a voice came from above—
“Unroll the other one and let us see,” the Emperor commanded.
Hearing this, Ying Fusheng showed a trace of shame and embarrassment on his face.
His hesitant manner appeared quite amusing to the Emperor; the child had been acting so poised since taking his seat, and only now did he show a bit of a child’s temperament. He asked, “What is it?”
Ying Fusheng then had the attendants unfurl the second scroll. Once it was open, the brushwork appeared even more chaotic. From top to bottom, the strokes ranged from immature to mature, making it difficult to discern the painting’s intent.
“What is this?” The Emperor frowned.
Ying Fusheng explained, “This is an Incense Painting.”
“I am dull-witted, so I sought out high monks to ask for incense ashes to use as ink… and these marks were drawn by pilgrims who went to the temple to pray recently. Within them is gathered the power of the common people’s prayers.” Ying Fusheng pointed to several marks and said, “However, as I have not left the palace, I was somewhat negligent. This painting contains the heart of a child, the diligence of a teacher… though the art is crude, it represents the heart of the people for the border soldiers and the Imperial Family. Thus, I present it as a gift.”
The officials at the banquet suddenly realized what this was: a “Prayers of a Hundred Families” painting.
After a long war, even though His Majesty had returned victorious, Great Yuan was in a period where it needed rest and recovery. The Emperor’s actions upon his return—rewarding military officers and toasting the officials—showed his intent to appease the generals and key officials. Under such circumstances, it was no wonder the Empress Dowager had ignored the Crown Prince’s jade beast statues. How would the military officers, who had returned from the front where every scrap of grain and fodder was tight, feel about jade statues crafted day and night with immense labor and wealth?
In contrast, also having spent time and effort, the Sixth Prince had sent people to the temple to pray and seek blessings. In the Empress Dowager’s name, he showed care for the generals, comforted the people on behalf of the Imperial Family, and solidified the Emperor’s achievements.
It was almost three birds with one stone. Two simple paintings of blessing with immature brushwork, but the painter’s heart was evident, making them an excellent gift.
The banquet was quiet, but a hearty laugh suddenly broke the silence from above.
The Emperor’s gaze landed on Ying Fusheng. He said nothing else, but his demeanor made it clear he was greatly pleased.
“Prayers of a Hundred Families… this item is of extraordinary value.”