Thinking of this, Ge Danian said, “Your Majesty is wise. The matter of succession naturally rests upon Your Majesty’s judgment. Although the Crown Prince has his shortcomings, he also has his own strengths. If Your Majesty nurtures and guides him well, he may yet become a valuable support to the throne.”
Hearing this, Emperor Chunde suddenly lifted his eyes and looked at his old mentor. “Master, you’ve paid little attention to worldly affairs these past years. If not for your wife’s grave illness requiring treatment by the imperial physicians, you wouldn’t even have entered the palace to see me. Yet today you’ve praised Fourth Brother several times. Could it be… that you’ve discovered something exceptional about him?”
Ge Danian sighed inwardly. He knew why the Emperor had appointed him as the Crown Prince’s tutor. The Emperor was convinced that the young man was hopelessly incompetent, a piece of rotten wood that could never be carved into anything useful, no matter how famous the teacher.
Apart from nostalgia and a desire to keep his old mentor by his side in the palace, the Emperor also intended to borrow the prestige of a renowned imperial tutor to bolster the weak-positioned Crown Prince. In doing so, he could maintain a balance between the Empress’s faction and the Noble Consort’s.
Because of this, when classes began and Ge Danian saw the other princes attending as well, he wanted no part in the princes’ political struggles. Thus, he spent his days drunk, avoiding any suspicion from the Emperor.
The Emperor valued loyalty and righteousness. In his youth, he had been known far and wide for his chivalrous spirit and had befriended many remarkable men.
As a result, Emperor Chunde had always treated those who helped him ascend the throne, whether civil or military officials, with tolerance and generosity. Even after that incident all those years ago, he had continued to show leniency toward the Ye family, the family of his first wife.
Yet such leniency depended upon knowing how to bear imperial favor and understanding one’s place. Ge Danian knew clearly that if he used the same crafty stratagems as in years past to help one prince seize the throne, the Emperor would never tolerate it.
Ge Danian grew wary at heart, though nothing showed on his face. Instead, he continued to lavish praise on the Crown Prince. “The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, naturally superior to the other princes. Though his essays may be lacking, his painting skills are second to none. Not long ago, he told me he plans to paint a grand panorama of the capital, capturing all the prosperity of the imperial city. Once completed, he hopes to present it to Your Majesty. My wife and I have no children and have never known the joy of family life. The Crown Prince’s filial devotion truly fills this old man with envy.”
The Emperor frowned upon hearing this. That brat has no virtue. Instead of studying, he wastes his time painting, still obsessed with pursuits that have nothing to do with proper governance. And his paintings are no better than his horsemanship and archery, utter rubbish. With such grand boasts, by the time that painting is actually finished, his old father will probably already be lying in his grave!
Ge Danian was probably just trying not to embarrass him as a father, offering insincere praise for that fool. Still, when Ge Danian said he envied him, that part was likely genuine.
The Emperor let out a quiet sigh. He disliked how lacking in masculinity his fourth son was, soft and spineless, utterly exasperating. Yet A Yuan’s filial devotion was undeniably sincere and without blemish. Even now, the taste of that bowl of noodles lingered on his tongue.
Ge Danian’s remarks about filial piety softened the Emperor’s heart somewhat. It occurred to him that he was still in good health and in the prime of life. There was no need to speak lightly of deposing or replacing the heir.
No matter how disappointing the Fourth Prince might be, he had committed no unforgivable crimes. He was still his son, after all. At the very least, he should see whether the boy could improve.
If the Crown Prince remained kind-hearted and sensible, distanced himself from his maternal relatives, cultivated virtue, and avoided being led astray, then as his father, how could he not secure for his son a peaceful future as a prince with his own household and descendants?
Thinking about descendants, the Emperor suddenly remembered that the Crown Prince was already seventeen. Although marriage could wait another year or two, it was time to begin selecting a Crown Princess. There was no need to make a final decision regarding the succession just yet. Better to observe a while longer. And wait for certain hidden schemers to reveal themselves further.
The next day, Emperor Chunde instructed Empress Tang that although the Crown Prince had not yet reached adulthood, it was time to fill the Eastern Palace. Suitable daughters of officials should be selected as candidates for Crown Princess, with a formal appointment to be made in the future.
After receiving the imperial decree, Empress Tang could only steady herself against a table and rub her aching temples.
In the past, the Emperor’s indifference toward the Crown Prince had been cause for concern. But now that he had suddenly taken such an interest in him, she found herself equally overwhelmed.
What worried her most was that this false phoenix masquerading as a true one might let something slip in front of a gathering of young noblewomen.
Still, the selection process could not be neglected.
Years ago, when the Empress had long remained childless, her father, head of the Tang family, repeatedly suggested sending one of the family’s beautiful daughters into the palace to help her secure the Emperor’s favor.
She knew well that she herself had been born a concubine’s daughter and was never highly valued within the family. The legitimate daughters of the Tang clan had been married to prominent imperial princes, while she had been given to an obscure and unremarkable prince.
Fortunately, the Emperor had proved exceptionally capable, defeating all his rivals and rising above the rest. Now that the once-cold hearth had become blazing, how could she step aside and surrender her position?
Thus, whenever her father hinted that Tang family girls should be brought into the harem, she firmly rejected the suggestion. For this, her father mocked her as shortsighted and incapable of seeing the bigger picture.
Later, after she finally had Feng Qiyuan, her position as Empress at last became secure, and she could more decisively refuse entry to other Tang family daughters.
After all, the Crown Prince was now the Tang family’s only hope.
As for the child-switching incident of years past, apart from herself and her personal old nursemaid, not even her father knew the truth.
However, selecting consorts for the Emperor and selecting a consort for the Crown Prince were two entirely different matters.
Although Empress Tang privately harbored many grievances against her father and maternal clan for constantly trying to place women in the imperial harem, having Feng Qiyuan marry a Tang family daughter would be the ideal outcome.
After all, any children born in the future would, like her, carry Tang blood. That alone would make them much closer to her maternal family.
As for consummating the marriage after the wedding, there was no need to worry. The real Feng Qiyuan was still alive, and even if that useless boy had no interest in women, a dose of the right medicine and an extinguished lamp would be enough to get the deed done.
Thus, for this round of bride selection, all that was required was for the Crown Prince’s younger sister to personally oversee the process and go through the motions.
On the day of the selection, ‘Feng Qiyuan’ waited in the Empress’s palace. Bored, she adjusted her robes and appearance in a bronze mirror when a childish voice suddenly spoke beside her. “The Crown Prince is most distinguished in bearing. This subject brother wishes Your Highness success in finding an ideal match.”
Yan Xiaoying turned and saw the Sixth Prince, Feng Qiruo, kneeling nearby, offering formal greetings with a seriousness far beyond his years.
The little Sixth Prince was quite an interesting child. Since being raised under the Empress’s care, he had taken the Crown Prince as his model in all things. Whether reciting texts from memory or enduring punishment, he never complained. Even when the Empress spoke harshly, he would receive her words respectfully, appearing perfectly content and obedient.
This, in turn, pleased the Empress greatly. She often remarked that raising a clever child was not a burden at all. Still, when a child was too sensible, some of the innocence that made children lovable was inevitably lost.
Yan Xiaoying bent down and pinched the boy’s cheek. “You’re still so young, A Ruo. What do you know about finding an ideal match?”
The Sixth Prince seemed to want to dodge the gesture, but endured it instead. Keeping his little face expressionless while allowing his imperial brother to “torment” him, he replied respectfully: “The young ladies entering the palace today were all carefully selected by Mother Empress. They come from prominent families and from the households of the Empire’s most important ministers. Naturally, they are all worthy matches. However, the one widely acknowledged as the most talented is Tang Ru, the youngest daughter of the Tang family’s second branch. She was raised from childhood under the Tang matriarch’s guidance and excels in learning, music, and appearance alike. Even Grandmother Tang often praises her. Her character and accomplishments are said to resemble Mother Empress’s more than anyone else’s. If she were to become Crown Princess, it would surely satisfy everyone’s expectations…”
Yan Xiaoying’s eyes flickered with amusement as she watched the child speak so earnestly, head lowered. Yet her own voice carried a note of alarm. “What? She resembles Mother Empress in temperament? Then wouldn’t that mean she’s not someone easy to get along with?”
Feng Qiruo lowered his head further, concealing the flash of satisfaction in his eyes. He had overheard palace attendants gossiping that the Crown Prince used to behave around the Empress like a mouse before a cat. Nor did the Empress ever seem particularly fond of the Crown Prince.
If the timid Crown Prince were allowed to choose his own bride, how could he willingly invite another ferocious mother-cat into his bedchamber? If the Crown Prince resisted and revealed any reluctance to marry a Tang daughter, he would surely offend the Empress and lose her favor.
The Crown Prince was already on the verge of being deposed. As a foster son raised under the Empress’s protection, the Sixth Prince ought to have had a bright future ahead of him. But now that the Crown Prince had returned from confinement and regained favor, Feng Qiruo knew he could never compete with a biological son. So he needed to use a few schemes and make the Crown Prince seem inferior by comparison.
Just as Feng Qiruo knelt there with his head lowered, secretly congratulating himself, a face suddenly appeared inches from his own like a ghost.
Feng Qiruo’s smile hadn’t yet faded when he was startled out of his wits. He instinctively leaned backward and toppled straight onto the floor. Only then did he realize that the Crown Prince had completely abandoned all decorum and was actually crouched on the ground like a frog, craning his neck forward to peer at his face. “Y-Your Highness, what are you doing?”
“I thought Ah Ruo was born unable to smile. So every time you smile, you do it where no one can see! Come on, give your imperial brother another smile. Ah, look at this little face, it’s downright adorable!”
When he lived under Consort Shen’s care, Feng Qiruo suffered plenty of bullying and humiliation from palace servants. He prided himself on his ability to endure hardship and remain unmoved by either favor or disgrace. Yet his imperial brother’s absurd behavior was almost unbearable to watch. Grinding his teeth, he rose and forced a smile. “Your Highness, please stop teasing your younger brother. Those noble young ladies are still waiting for Your Highness.”
But the shameless Crown Prince refused to get up. Reclining lazily on his side, supporting his head with one hand, he said playfully, “When choosing a wife, virtue isn’t enough. She has to be pleasing to the eye too. In my opinion, the most beautiful one is Mu Yanyan, the legitimate daughter of Duke Ding’s household. Don’t you agree?”
Hearing this, Feng Qiruo could barely suppress a grin. This foolish imperial brother certainly had nerve! Of all the young ladies he could choose, he had picked Mu Hanjiang’s younger sister.
The famous tigress of the capital was undoubtedly beautiful, but she could just as well break the Crown Prince’s legs on their wedding night to avenge her elder brother.
Yan Xiaoying seemed reluctant to let the topic go and was about to continue evaluating the beauties when Nanny Song entered with a cold expression. Looking disdainfully at the Crown Prince sprawled on the floor, she urged him to proceed quickly to the front hall.
Yan Xiaoying got up, brushed the dust from her clothes, flicked Feng Qiruo on the forehead, and followed Nanny Song forward with a grin.
In a low voice, Nanny Song reminded her not to forget the Empress’s instructions. “All the young ladies attending today are noble daughters from distinguished families. The Crown Prince must treat them with sufficient respect and dignity. During the selection, hesitate a little. Make it appear as though they are evenly matched and difficult to choose between. Then place the hairpin bestowed by Her Majesty upon the Tang family young lady.”
As Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, he represented the Empress and naturally had to show proper courtesy toward the daughters of the empire’s officials. Although Tang Ru was the predetermined choice, appearances still had to be maintained.
Fearing that this wild girl might neglect such honored guests, Nanny Song spent the entire journey admonishing her with a stern face. Judging from the girl’s carefree manner, however, it was hard to tell whether she had remembered any of it.
Nanny Song added, “To avoid mistaking her identity, the Tang family young lady will come and pay her respects shortly. Make sure you recognize her.”
Just then, a young woman approached from the opposite direction. She wore red robes, attended by a circle of maids. Upon seeing the Crown Prince, she arrogantly ignored him, offering only the barest courtesy before turning to Nanny Song. “My mother sent nourishing tonics for the Empress. Please keep them for me. After the selection is concluded, I will personally present them to Her Majesty.”
Nanny Song’s aged face immediately bloomed into a smile. “Certainly, certainly.” She readily accepted the gift and complimented Miss Ru on how radiant she looked today. Clearly, this was the leading candidate for Crown Princess: Tang Ru.
Standing beside them, Yan Xiaoying smiled and joined the conversation. “Cousin Tang, it’s been a long time.”
Having entered and exited the palace since childhood, Tang Ru, a treasured daughter of the Tang family and beloved niece of the Empress, regarded herself as nobler than even a princess. She had often witnessed the Empress reprimanding the Crown Prince. Over time, she had come to despise him as well. When they were younger, she frequently joined the Tang clan’s children in bullying Feng Qiyuan.
As a result, Feng Qiyuan’s legs would practically shake whenever he saw her.
Tang Ru had long been accustomed to looking down on this frail, bean-sprout-like Crown Prince. The thought of marrying such an effeminate husband was far from satisfying. She shot Yan Xiaoying a sidelong glance. After bowing perfunctorily once more, she turned to leave, as she always did.
Apparently provoked by her contempt, Yan Xiaoying could not resist mocking her. “If you’ve developed an eye disease and can only look at people sideways, why come to the palace and embarrass yourself? You’d be better off going home and seeing a physician.”
Seeing the girl about to cause trouble, Nanny Song frantically signaled Yan Xiaoying with her eyes.
Tang Ru, mindful of Nanny Song’s presence, merely raised her chin and suppressed her anger before shooting back: “Your Highness and I have not met for several years, yet Your Highness has certainly become much more talkative. When I see the Empress later, I shall repeat Your Highness’s words exactly and let Her Majesty judge whether they were appropriate.”