LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 45.
Inside the Hall, officials from the Bureau of Astronomical Phenomena knelt on the ground. The Emperor sat at the head of the hall, his expression as gloomy as the overcast sky, weighing heavily on everyone.
Ji Zhuo entered the hall, lifted his robes, and bowed. “Your servant greets His Majesty. Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years.”
The Emperor’s murky eyes looked at Ji Zhuo and said, “Rise.”
Ji Zhuo stood up. The Emperor continued, “You are well-versed and knowledgeable, reputed to understand both astronomy and geography. What do you think about today’s events?”
“Your servant’s knowledge is but a small branch of learning; I dare not embarrass myself before Your Majesty,” Ji Zhuo replied with his usual humility and gentleness. “I wonder what the officials from the Bureau of Astronomical Phenomena have to say.”
The Emperor said, “They all claim that thunder in winter is an ominous sign. The Book of Guanzi states: ‘Spring withers, autumn flourishes, winter thunder, and summer frost and snow—these are all signs of calamity, leading to disasters for the country.’”
Ji Zhuo pondered for a moment and said, “In my view, it is merely a sudden drop in temperature and a change in the seasons. It does not necessarily indicate good or ill fortune.”
The Emperor’s stern eyes fixed on him. “You mean to say that I am being overly concerned?”
He immediately knelt again and said, “Your Majesty’s concern for the people is a sign of your sincere love for them. It is understandable if you prefer to believe it is a bad omen rather than dismiss it. Your servant’s rashness, please forgive.”
The hall fell silent, so quiet that even a falling pin could be heard. The officials from the Bureau of Astronomical Phenomena were distressed; the Emperor, growing more suspicious with age, seemed to be dissatisfied no matter what the Prince said or did.
The Emperor scrutinized him for a long time and finally said, “Alright, you may go.”
He stood up and took his leave.
At the entrance of the Hall, Ji Zhuo encountered the Crown Prince. Dressed in bright yellow court attire, the Crown Prince looked even more imposing and hard to approach. He was accompanied by several young officials.
“Is Prince Duan here too?” The Crown Prince stopped when he saw him.
“I just met with His Majesty,” Ji Zhuo said, still holding his hands in his sleeves. “Why are you dressed in full court attire?”
“The Emperor has granted me permission to go to the outskirts of the capital to perform the sacrifice to heaven, so I came to bid farewell to him,” the Crown Prince said, noticing Ji Zhuo’s gaze on the young officials beside him. He introduced them, “This is Wei Xiliang from my Eastern Palace.”
Wei Xiliang quickly bowed, “Greetings to Prince Duan.”
Ji Zhuo said, “No need for formalities.”
The Crown Prince, eager to proceed, said, “Uncle, I’ll go in first.”
Ji Zhuo nodded, “Go ahead.”
He brushed past the Crown Prince and the others, with Wei Xiliang also bowing and following the Crown Prince inside.
Changming, who was waiting beside Ji Zhuo, asked, “Prince, is something wrong?”
Ji Zhuo shook his head and walked across the open space in front of the Hall.
“Zhou Wenwang’s fifteenth son, Bi Gonggao, later Bi Wan, was conferred the title of Wei. His descendants lived off the offerings from Feng, thus taking Feng as their surname.”
“Wei, Feng,” Changming realized belatedly, “Are they from the old Duke of Cheng’en’s family?”
Ji Zhuo said nothing more and continued to look at the overcast sky and the layers of palace walls.
Shen Ying and Shen Shuo hurried home. Lady Yang helped them prepare their clothes. As the Crown Prince was traveling, they had to follow as well.
In Mingyue Tower, Shen Yourong helped Li Chun and Li Qiu pack Shen Shuo’s belongings. Shen Shuo was still dressed in his court attire, with a crane cloak draped over him, already covered in snowflakes.
“This time, we’ll be gone for only ten days. Don’t bring too much; just make sure to have all the clothes packed, especially the fur garments and two pieces of the crane cloak,” Shen Yourong said. “Bring the fur clothing and the crane cloak.”
“Not yet,” Shen Shuo took her to the inner room and said, “We’ll be gone for at least three to five days. Grandmother and the madam will enter the palace, so only you and the second girl will be here. You two must manage the household well. No gossip or rumors allowed. If anything comes up that you can’t handle, send someone to find me.”
Shen Yourong nodded. Seeing her obedient, he continued, “With the Crown Prince performing the sacrifice to heaven, the Emperor is in a huff. Even if the Crown Prince does well, the Emperor might not truly be pleased. So it’s best to stay out of it. Whether the Crown Prince succeeds or not has nothing to do with us. Remember that?”
Shen Yourong nodded and asked, “What about third sister?”
“Grandmother will give her instructions tomorrow.”
At this moment, Li Qiu came over with a list for them to review. “Young Master, Miss, see if there is anything missing.”
Shen Yourong looked at it and said, “It’s almost done. Any extra would just be a burden on the road.”
Shen Shuo looked at her and said, “Oh, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
She asked, “What is it?”
“I saw some plum blossoms outside, blooming beautifully, so I had someone bring a branch to your room.”
Shen Yourong smiled and said, “Just a branch of plum blossoms? Is it worth you bringing it from outside?”
He laughed and said mockingly, “I find it strange too. What’s so special about a mere branch of flowers? Is it that our house’s flowers aren’t as fragrant as those?”
Her heart skipped a beat, overwhelmed with excitement. “Then it must be something special.”
Shen Shuo hoped she would get what she wished for, but he also did not want Ji Zhuo to use his own hands to win her favor. It was vexing him, yet she seemed very taken with it.
“Alright, go and look at your flowers.”
She immediately left, joyfully, in the midst of the cold winter, finding solace in the branch of flowers that Ji Zhuo had sent, which calmed her restless heart.
While the Crown Prince went to the outskirts of the capital for the sacrifice, the palace was led by the virtuous consort, with officials and their families participating in the rites. At the Qi State Duke’s residence, the elderly Lady Yang and Lady Li, dressed according to their rank, entered the palace, kneeling with the officials and their wives in sincere worship.
Of course, the leading figures were the virtuous consort and the Crown Prince’s consort, but Shen Qingyan was missing. The elderly ladies were somewhat anxious. When they had a chance to rest in the side hall, they asked the virtuous consort, “Where is the Crown Prince’s consort?”
“I will go and fetch her,” the virtuous consort replied.
Soon, Shen Qingyan arrived, dressed in a jade-colored palace robe, her hair styled simply and elegantly, but with a bruise on her snow-white face.
“What happened?” Lady Yang was shocked.
Shen Qingyan covered her bruised mouth with a handkerchief, and the Crown Prince’s consort explained, “The Crown Prince had a bit of a quarrel with her and pushed her around.”
The explanation was made to sound trivial, but the injury on her face was a significant embarrassment. Her expression still showed some gloom, and she didn’t hide her unhappiness.
The Virtuous Consort truly disliked Shen Qingyan’s demeanor. They were all women trying to survive carefully in the palace, so why did she get to cry and laugh as she pleased?
But in front of her family, the Virtuous Consort still smiled and said, “They’re a young couple; they don’t always know how to handle things properly. It’s just a bit of quarreling among young people; they’ll soon forget about it.”
Shen Qingyan huffed inwardly, thinking, I’ll remember this grievance.
Seeing that she did not respond, the Virtuous Consort’s expression also fell. She said, “Fine, let her go back. If others see her like this, it will only be a subject of ridicule.”
Just as she was about to leave, a palace eunuch rushed in, stumbling and rolling, shouting, “A great calamity! The Crown Prince fell off his horse on the way to the sacrifice and is seriously injured and unconscious!”
Shen Qingyan’s heart skipped a beat, and she saw the Virtuous Consort suddenly stand up, swaying and almost fainting.
At the Eastern Palace, snow was falling heavily, and the sky was filled with dark clouds, casting a heavy gloom. All the doctors from the Imperial Medical Office had been summoned to the Eastern Palace. Eunuchs hurriedly carried hot water and cloths through the corridors. The vast Eastern Palace was eerily silent, filled with a stifling atmosphere.
In the inner chambers, the Emperor sat in the outer room, his yellow dragon robe with the five-clawed golden dragon seemed to writhe in the clouds. The Virtuous Consort sat to one side, quietly weeping. The Crown Prince’s consort stood beside her, tightly clutching her handkerchief.
The Crown Prince had fallen from his horse during the sacrifice and was trampled by the horse. Despite repeated consultations by the doctors, it was clear to them that the Crown Prince’s legs could not be saved.
The Emperor closed his eyes, his aura dark and heavy. An elderly doctor emerged from the inner room, trembling as he knelt before the Emperor and said, “I am unworthy and unskilled. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, the Virtuous Consort could no longer hold back her tears.
The Emperor’s chest heaved violently, his voice hoarse. “What is the state of the Crown Prince?”
The elderly doctor replied, “If we sacrifice his legs, we may still be able to save the Crown Prince’s life.”
The Emperor closed his eyes again and said, “Then go ahead and proceed.”
With that, the Emperor rose and left the Eastern Palace.
Inside the Hall, the ministers stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, observing in silence.
The Emperor emerged from behind the screen and took his seat at the head of the hall. The ministers immediately bowed, and the Emperor called out, pretending not to notice the undercurrent of tension.
The Duke of Anguo was the first to speak, “What is the Crown Prince’s condition?”
The Emperor’s aged eyes swept over him and said, “The Crown Prince is severely injured and has not yet awakened.”
Upon hearing this, the ministers began to grasp the situation. With the Crown Prince’s legs being trampled, it was uncertain if his life could be saved. Even if he survived, historically, no disabled prince had ever become emperor.
The Duke of Anguo’s face turned pale, unable to believe that such immense wealth and power could be lost so abruptly.
Inspector Zheng was the first to step forward and said, “Your Majesty, with the Crown Prince critically injured and unconscious, as the heir is the foundation of the country, I urge Your Majesty to consider the future of the nation and, despite the sorrow, appoint a new heir to reassure the people.”
This suggestion stirred up a great commotion. Following Zheng’s lead, the ministers hesitated for a moment before petitioning for a new heir.
Both the Duke of Anguo and the Duke of Qi remained silent, likely sharing similar sentiments at this moment.
The Emperor listened for a while and said, “According to you all, who should be appointed as the new heir?”
Inspector Zheng immediately responded, “Your Majesty has only two sons. With the Crown Prince gravely injured, it would be best to appoint the Seventh Prince as the heir.”
The Emperor looked at him in silence. The Duke of Anguo suddenly thought of something and spoke passionately, “Even if the Crown Prince is gravely injured, he has a grandson. According to ancient customs, the succession should follow the rule of father succeeding son. I urge Your Majesty to appoint the Crown Prince’s grandson as the heir!”
“Absurd!” someone immediately countered, “The gender of the Crown Prince’s unborn child is still unknown. How can the child be compared with the Seventh Prince?”
“But the Seventh Prince is also just a young child. How can he bear the weight of the nation?”
The seasoned Duke of Qi, who had remained calm for a long time, suddenly stepped forward and said, “Traditionally, succession is based on the principle of the deceased’s son succeeding, and then the brother succeeding the deceased. Now, with the Crown Prince gravely injured and the gender of the unborn child unknown, it is unwise to appoint the grandson as heir. However, the Seventh Prince is young and may lead to doubts about the stability of the country. I propose that we follow the ancient custom of brother succeeding brother and appoint the legitimate son of the late Emperor, Prince Duan, as the heir to stabilize the nation and ensure peace.”
The hall fell silent after the Duke of Qi’s speech. The Emperor’s face darkened, and his eyes glared like daggers at the Duke of Qi.
Prince Duan was a long-time taboo for the Emperor, and someone had proposed him as the heir at this moment. The Emperor was furious, nearly losing his temper.
“Qi Xiu! Are you seeking death?”
The Duke of Qi immediately knelt and said, “For the stability of the nation, I would die without regret!”
“Good! Good! Good!” The Emperor, in a fit of rage, shouted, “Someone, punish Qi Xiu with two hundred strokes!”
The ministers all knelt down, pleading, “Your Majesty, please reconsider!”
Their plea was not because they supported the Duke of Qi, but because they did not want the Emperor to have the authority to arbitrarily kill ministers. However, to the enraged Emperor, everyone seemed to be opposing him and siding with Ji Zhuo.