Only after the Crown Princess had left did Nanny Fan, who attended at the Empress’s side, sigh in displeasure. “Your Majesty, you indulge the Crown Princess far too much.”
At that, the Empress slowly opened her eyes. Frowning, she said regretfully, “Back then, when His Majesty said he wanted to choose a girl from a distinguished family for Yu’er, I thought that since Master Wenchuan was a man of noble character and upright family traditions, his granddaughter—having been taught by him from childhood—would surely be gentle, virtuous, and sensible…”
The Crown Princess’s father, Li Cheng, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, was a man of loyalty and integrity. Her mother came from Duke Wengu’s household. Though the family held no military power, its sons had always entered court through their literary achievements, which was an advantage in itself.
That was why the Empress had chosen her.
“Who could have imagined that the Crown Princess would have such a temperament?”
“The Eastern Palace has always been short of heirs and is already unstable. It is surrounded by wolves and tigers, yet as Crown Princess, instead of thinking about supporting the Crown Prince and securing the Eastern Palace, she keeps her eyes fixed only on the small patch of land that is the inner court.”
“If not for her jealousy, Lady Sun would never have miscarried after I bestowed her upon the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince would not have become estranged from her!”
“And she actually thinks she is the cleverest person in the world, treating everyone else as fools.” The Empress sneered.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. The Crown Princess does not understand your good intentions. She simply has no blessing to appreciate them.”
The Empress sighed, her voice turning cold. “I only hope she will be clever enough this time.”
If she dared reach out against the Crown Prince’s heirs again, she must not blame the Empress for what followed.
“Your Majesty has bestowed gifts upon Lady Chu several times. In every word, you have both cautioned and reassured her. I imagine the Crown Princess should understand by now.”
Though Nanny Fan said this, she too harbored resentment toward the Crown Princess. If not for the Empress’s kindness—having personally tasted the agony of being separated from her own child and not wishing anyone else to suffer the same—what would have been wrong with taking the Little Prince to Kunning Palace and raising him there?
The Little Prince had been born a year and five months ago—nearly three by nominal reckoning—yet the Empress had only seen him twice. What grandmother in the world was unable to see her own grandson? And yet her mistress had happened to encounter such a narrow-minded woman.
Had the Crown Princess’s mother-in-law been someone other than Her Majesty—one of those high-ranking consorts skilled in underhanded schemes—who knew what sort of torment she would already have endured?
“I hope she truly understands.” The Empress pressed a hand to her brow. “By the way, I was not feeling well some time ago. Yesterday, I noticed that one of the selected candidates originally marked for the Crown Prince had been crossed out, and Noble Consort Lan had selected Lady Shen’s younger sister instead?”
Nanny Fan bowed and replied, “In answer to Your Majesty, that is indeed what happened. Noble Consort Lan deliberately delayed matters and, bypassing you entirely, submitted the list directly to His Majesty.”
The Empress was not surprised. If Noble Consort Lan did not stir up some trouble, she would have found it strange. By selecting the younger sister of Lady Shen—a pawn clearly meant to make the Crown Prince unhappy—it was obvious that Noble Consort Lan had done so deliberately.
But what angered her even more than the disgust she felt was the Emperor’s attitude.
*
After finishing his duties at the hour of Shen, Cui Yu left the Jingzhao Prefecture yamen in his crimson official robes and boarded the Eastern Palace carriage.
In the Great Yong Dynasty, the Crown Prince not only spent his days studying and attending court to hear state affairs; he also served as the Prefect of Jingzhao. It was considered another way of assessing his ability to handle government affairs.
Seated nearby, Zheng Yuande saw that his master’s expression was calm and gave away none of his emotions. He could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Having served his master for many years, he could still discern a thing or two. Ever since the General of Agile Cavalry had been reprimanded by His Majesty and stripped of his title as Military Commissioner of the Protecting-State Army, it had been rare to see His Highness in such a peaceful frame of mind.
At court that morning, contrary to Zheng Yuande’s expectations, he had thought His Highness would once again argue with His Majesty and plead for the General of Agile Cavalry, only to be reprimanded by the Emperor. Unexpectedly, His Highness had acted entirely out of character and had not argued on the general’s behalf again.
Cui Yu closed his eyes to rest. Suddenly, he lifted them and said, “If you have something to say, say it.” His voice was clear and steady.
With his round, fair face beaming, Zheng Yuande ingratiatingly replied, “Your Highness truly possesses divine foresight. You can tell that this servant is bursting with questions even with your eyes closed.”
Cui Yu shot him a glance.
Zheng Yuande did not dare put on airs any longer. He chuckled and said, “This servant was worried about Your Highness, but who could have expected His Majesty to praise you in open court? I saw the expressions on the Fourth Prince’s face and those of the other princes when they left the court—not one of them was smiling. It was deeply satisfying.”
Those princes had deliberately come up to needle His Highness after the Emperor reprimanded him. Now that His Highness had received the Emperor’s praise, they were the ones left fuming!
Cui Yu lowered his eyes, his voice deep and unreadable. “Arguing is useless.”
What would winning an argument accomplish?
An emperor would always be wary of a subject whose achievements threatened to overshadow the throne. Whether one was right or wrong no longer mattered.
It was simply that, before this, he had been unable to accept that his maternal uncle had guarded the frontier and fought through bloodshed, only for the military honors he had earned with his life to be stripped away as though they were nothing more than a child’s game.
He felt that it was unfair and unworthy—not only to his maternal uncle, but also to the soldiers who defended Great Yong.
Yet his position as Crown Prince, combined with the military merits his maternal uncle had earned, had already made his father wary of him. If he took a step back, perhaps his father’s suspicion and defenses would ease somewhat, making things safer for his maternal grandfather and uncle.
Since that was the case, there was no need to fight over a momentary victory.
However, as soon as he returned to the Eastern Palace, Cui Yu heard Cao Zhongda, the eunuch in charge of the front halls, quietly report several matters to him. Zheng Yuande’s expression changed slightly. Inwardly, he could not help complaining about the Crown Princess. He truly did not know what she was thinking. How could she dare act one way in public and another in private before the Empress? Her audacity was simply too great.
After hearing the report, Cui Yu’s expression remained unchanged, revealing nothing. Only a trace of coldness appeared in his previously tranquil eyes.
*
“Your Highness, please listen to this old servant’s advice. When we go to pay our respects to the Empress toward the end of the month, let us take the Little Prince with us, all right?” Matron Zhou urged in a low voice, pleading earnestly.
The Crown Princess’s face was grim, and her heart ached even more. “Did you not see how deliberately Her Majesty made things difficult for me today? Every word she spoke implied that the Crown Prince has so few heirs because of me. It is all my fault—that I failed to give His Highness a healthy son!”
Since childhood, she had been the most outstanding among her sisters. The husband she had married was also the most exalted man in the world—the Crown Prince himself. Yet she had given birth to a sickly son, leaving her unable to hold her head high before Her Majesty or anyone else.
Matron Zhou naturally felt distressed for the young mistress she had nursed and raised. But now that the girl was a daughter-in-law of the imperial family, she could no longer allow her to indulge her temper as she pleased.
She consoled her, “Your Highness, please set your mind at ease. The Little Prince is currently the only son under the Crown Prince’s name. No one else can possibly surpass him.”
“If our Little Prince can win the Empress’s affection and favor, it will benefit both us and the Little Prince. Why insist on competing with the Empress over this momentary grievance? If His Highness finds out, the one injured will be the affection between husband and wife.”
The Crown Princess’s expression shifted slightly.
As the two were speaking, familiar sounds came from outside.
The Crown Princess hurriedly straightened her clothes and makeup, then went forward at a brisk pace to greet him and offer her respects.
Cui Yu stopped before her and looked down at her face. Only after a moment did he speak, telling her to rise.
Once they had settled in before the luohan couch, the Crown Princess hurriedly ordered someone to brew a pot of hot tea and presented it to him herself. Her voice was gentle and warm with a smile. “Your Highness, have you just returned from your duties? You have been so busy with state affairs lately, but you must take care of yourself as well. Be sure not to overwork yourself and damage your health.”
Cui Yu lifted his eyes to her gentle smile, his voice slightly deep. “No need.”
The Crown Princess smiled and placed the teacup on a small table nearby. Then she asked with a smile, “Would Your Highness like to have a meal brought in?”
“No need.” After saying this, Cui Yu turned toward Matron Zhou. “Where is Zhang’er?”
At this, the smile on the Crown Princess’s face became even more genuine. She quickly turned and ordered, “Hurry and bring Zhang’er here.”
Matron Zhou was naturally pleased that His Highness the Crown Prince kept their Little Prince in his thoughts. After the wet nurse entered carrying the swaddled infant and paid her respects, she bent forward respectfully and presented the Little Prince to the Crown Prince.
Cui Yu glanced at the child, who still had his eyes closed, then told the wet nurse to carry him away so as not to wake him.
As though asking casually, he said, “I remember the Crown Princess said yesterday that Zhang’er’s health had grown much stronger recently?”
The Crown Princess’s heart tightened. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. “In reply to Your Highness, the physicians said that although Zhang’er’s health has improved somewhat recently, he still needs to recuperate quietly and cannot be exposed to drafts.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Cui Yu absently rubbed the cool jade ring on his thumb. “As it happens, I summoned the Imperial Physician Director here. Someone, ask Physician Lu to examine Chang’er and make sure he is in good health.”
Zheng Yuande: “Yes, Your Highness.”
The Crown Princess’s expression stiffened slightly, and she hurriedly said, “Your Highness, Zhang’er’s regular physician has always been Physician Zhang. Would it not be better to summon him instead? He is more familiar with Zhang’er’s condition.”
Cui Yu’s voice remained calm. “As the Imperial Physician Director, Physician Lu’s medical skills are naturally no inferior to Physician Zhang’s.”
The Crown Princess’s expression tightened. She lowered her head to conceal it. Every few days, the Crown Prince would ask about the child’s condition, and at first she had not found anything suspicious. But now…
Before long, Zheng Yuande entered with an elderly man whose hair and beard were gray and who wore the official robes of an Imperial Physician Director.
After paying his respects, Imperial Physician Director Lu reported, “In reply to Your Highness and Her Highness, the Little Prince’s health is somewhat weaker than that of ordinary infants his age. However, so long as he is carefully tended, he should be no different from anyone else once he grows up.”
Cui Yu asked, “Can he withstand being moved at present?”
“If curtains are hung around the Little Prince’s palanquin, it will cause no harm.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Imperial Physician Director Lu.”
After Zheng Yuande escorted him out, he had barely stepped back inside when he heard His Highness’s calm, emotionless voice.
“Someone, bring the palanquin.”
The Crown Princess’s heart turned cold and heavy. The Empress must have sent someone to tell His Highness something. Otherwise, why would he have immediately taken action the moment he returned from his duties?
How hateful!
Zheng Yuande smoothly turned around and went back out. He was deeply puzzled by the Crown Princess’s almost blatant disregard for Her Majesty the Empress.
The Empress’s illness was neither a cold nor an infectious disease. It was not contagious in the slightest. Where, then, had the Crown Princess found the courage to challenge Her Majesty’s authority again and again?
Matron Zhou instantly dropped to her knees and kowtowed as she pleaded, “Your Highness, please be magnanimous. Her Highness was simply too concerned about the Little Prince’s health, which was why she did not take him to see Her Majesty the Empress today. When Her Highness returned just now, she even told this old servant that she planned to pay Her Majesty a visit later this month. By then, the Little Prince should have recovered, and Her Highness will take him along so Her Majesty may examine him carefully.”
Cui Yu turned his gaze toward the Crown Princess, his voice turning cold. “Oh? Is that so?”
The Crown Princess’s face was stiff and pale. After a long moment, she finally bit her lip, bent her knees, and lowered her head. “Yes. That was indeed my intention. However, I acted without sufficient consideration and caused Mother Empress needless worry during her illness. I beg Your Highness to forgive me.”
Cui Yu slowly rose to his feet and looked down at her expression and demeanor. After a moment, he said in a low voice, “Mother Empress has devoted herself to making plans for you and me. Zhang’er is the Crown Prince’s legitimate eldest son. Do not disappoint Mother Empress’s painstaking efforts.”
The Crown Princess grew even more resentful at his words.
Making plans? The Empress had only one son, His Highness the Crown Prince. Was it not only natural for her to plan for him? Were her own father and brothers not likewise making arrangements for the Crown Prince in court?
And as for painstaking efforts… A cold laugh rose in her heart. Was he referring to the efforts she had made by repeatedly bestowing gifts upon Lady Chu, heedless of the dignity of the Crown Princess?
Such painstaking efforts were more than she could accept.
Yet no matter what she thought in her heart, she endured the grievance for the moment and kept it from showing on her face.
The disappointment in Cui Yu’s eyes vanished in an instant. His dark eyes were calm and utterly without ripples. He said nothing more, but turned and left.
