The news of the great victory flew towards Daqi as if on wings. The soldier delivering the triumphant report, his face flushed with excitement, held the military dispatch aloft and sang out all the way:
"A great victory! Daqi has won a great victory!"
Zichen Hall.
Emperor Yuanyou sprang to his feet, his hands trembling as he took the military dispatch.
They had truly won.
And it was such a brilliant victory.
Emperor Yuanyou was so delighted he began pacing in circles on the spot. "Go and summon Shen Mingwen."
In just a quarter of an hour, Shen Mingwen stood before Emperor Yuanyou.
"Minister Shen, the Crown Prince's position is secure."
"Everything is as Your Majesty foresaw."
Shen Mingwen let out a heavy sigh of relief. From this point on, His Highness's position as Crown Prince would be unshakable.
"Excellent, I... I eagerly await their triumphant return." As he spoke these words, Emperor Yuanyou himself felt a pang of sorrow. Hadn't he suffered, not seeing his son and granddaughter for several months?
"Regarding Young Master Yu's injuries..."
A flicker of concern passed through Shen Mingwen's eyes.
"The military dispatch states his wounds have begun to improve. This time, Mei Zhilin used all his secret skills." Emperor Yuanyou's fondness for Yu Fan had multiplied at this moment. "When Yu Fan returns, I shall bestow generous rewards upon him. His contributions this time were not small."
"In my humble opinion, the one with the greatest merit should be the Commandery Princess."
Emperor Yuanyou was pleased.
He nodded repeatedly with satisfaction.
Minister Shen indeed knew best what he wanted to hear, which was why he always enjoyed calling Minister Shen for a chat when something came up.
"My granddaughter... she's just a bit cleverer, a bit stronger, a bit more talented, that's all, nothing much really."
Shen Mingwen could hardly hold back his laughter.
What difference was there between the Emperor's current demeanor and the Crown Prince's boastful manner?
"The Commandery Princess's grace and bearing are unmatched."
"Children shouldn't be praised too much."
Emperor Yuanyou waved his hand dismissively as he spoke, then pressed his fingers to his forehead with a wry smile.
His granddaughter was simply too outstanding. What was he to do?
...
At the court assembly the next morning, Emperor Yuanyou arrived earlier than usual and had even meticulously groomed his beard.
In the court, Emperor Yuanyou cleared his throat. "What are your views, esteemed ministers, on Daqi's capture of the Dayue imperial palace?"
The subtext was clear—
Alright, you may now begin your praises.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is accomplished in both civil and military affairs. With such an heir, Daqi can ensure prosperity for ten thousand years."
"Commandery Princess Fu'an is truly a remarkable woman, a lucky star for our Daqi!"
The civil and military officials lavished praise for a full half-hour, with Emperor Yuanyou showing no intention of stopping them.
The atmosphere began to grow slightly awkward.
Because everyone was starting to run out of words.
Just then, an official who hadn't had a chance to speak up until now boomed in a resonant voice, "The royal family's newly acquired pair of dragon and phoenix children are indeed an auspicious sign, having blessed our Daqi with this great victory."
Instantly, Emperor Yuanyou's face fell.
His son and granddaughter had risked their lives fighting on the front lines. If heaven were to bestow blessings, it would be for their sake.
Song Heng's pair of twins were merely a convenient pretext, a justification for the campaign.
Emperor Yuanyou was displeased and was about to retort when he was interrupted by another voice.
"The victory in this battle was achieved firstly by relying on Your Majesty's wisdom, secondly because His Highness and the Commandery Princess had brilliant strategies, and thirdly due to the soldiers' courageous charge," Song Heng hurriedly spoke up. "My unworthy son and daughter do not deserve such praise from you, sir."
Seeing Song Heng's attitude, Emperor Yuanyou's expression improved slightly.
He ultimately didn't continue with what he had intended to say. He was the Son of Heaven; if he were to be so petty, wouldn't it invite ridicule?
"The court is dismissed."
Emperor Yuanyou felt somewhat dispirited. He would return and write a letter urging Yu'er to lead the troops back to the capital soon.
Or perhaps send A'huan back to him first would be good too.
...
Shen Residence.
After returning from court, Shen Qingping didn't even take the time to remove his court robes. He directly ran to the old tree, took a shovel, and dug up a jar of wine.
"Third Master, this is strong liquor, you..."
Nian'an's voice grew softer under Shen Qingping's gaze, leaving him no choice but to watch helplessly as Shen Qingping walked away holding the wine jar.
Ever since Third Master fell seriously ill that year, he had rarely drunk alcohol, and when he did, it was usually wine of ordinary strength.
But this wine, buried for many years, was extremely potent.
Shen Qingping went straight to find Zheng Fang.
"Care for a drink?"
Looking at Shen Qingping before him, Zheng Fang inwardly remarked on his extraordinary, almost celestial appearance.
The man was clad in the crimson official robes of the second rank. His complexion was fair, his eyes and brows sharp. The gold threads on his robe shimmered faintly in the sunlight, and the jade belt cinched at his waist accentuated an air of cool detachment.
No wonder the world condemned his ruthless methods, yet never called his appearance plain.
"I would be honored." Zheng Fang cupped his hands towards Shen Qingping.
Lifting the lid released an intense aroma of wine.
After one sip, Shen Qingping's expression remained unchanged.
"His Highness has won the battle, the Eastern Palace's position is secure. Everyone outside is now praising His Highness. You can set your mind at ease, sir."
After Zheng Fang finished speaking, Shen Qingping actually laughed.
"When His Highness first stood before the troops, his calves were trembling."
Zheng Fang's pupils shook with shock. Was this something he was allowed to hear?
Would he be silenced for this?
Was it still too late to call Ling Ming and Feng Kuizhi over?
Zheng Fang's mind raced, but then he heard Shen Qingping speak again:
"Zheng Fang, human hearts are fickle."
"Those who praise His Highness now are the same ones who looked down on him in the past."
Shen Qingping's Adam's apple bobbed. His Highness was straightforward by nature, something Shen Qingping knew he himself fell short of. He, Shen Qingping, held grudges.
"At the peak of the criticism, they said His Highness was unfilial, uncultured, and unworthy of being a prince."
Shen Qingping was growing drunk.
"On my way back to the residence today, I heard many words praising His Highness. Yet, I didn't feel as happy as I imagined. Instead, I kept thinking of the past." Shen Qingping drained the fine wine in his cup once more. "So Zheng Fang, we cannot let our guard down. We cannot become complacent."
"We must remain clear-headed."
Zheng Fang's expression suddenly turned serious. Looking at the man before him, whose drunkenness was now apparent, he stood up and bowed. "Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Shen."
"Enough. Keep me company while I drink."
An hour later, both men were slumped drunkenly over the table, with Shen Qingping still clutching his wine cup.
A while later, two maidservants carefully approached carrying sobering soup. One of them walked up to Shen Qingping, intending to take the wine cup from his hand.
The moment she drew near, Shen Qingping's eyes snapped open.
Killing intent was plain in his gaze.
The maidservant was so frightened she fell to the ground, spilling the sobering soup everywhere.
"What happened?" Zheng Fang was also startled back to awareness by the commotion.
"This servant... this servant wanted to take the cup from your hand, sir. The kitchen prepared sobering soup for both gentlemen."
"It's nothing. You may leave." Shen Qingping sat up straight.
Zheng Fang looked at Shen Qingping apologetically, a trace of something obscure in his eyes. Young Master Shen had never practiced martial arts. How could he possess such keen alertness...
Even in a drunken state, he could react so swiftly.
But then he saw Shen Qingping wave his hand and speak with an air of nonchalance:
"Too many people in this world wish to kill this official."
It was merely a means of preserving his life.
