Xiao Rongyan returned to his manor feeling utterly stifled and aggrieved. Before his bottom even touched the seat, he smashed an entire tea set.
He was mad with rage. "Who on earth did this?"
"Hahaha!" Hearing that Prince Ying had been punished with confinement to reflect on his mistakes, Prince Qi leaped up from his chair in delight and laughed heartily.
"This is what they call going for wool and coming home shorn. Not only was he reprimanded by Imperial Father, but he also offended the Chu family."
Sitting in his chair, Gu Qishan smiled and lightly stroked his beard. "Your Highness is still the clever one, sending people to spread the news throughout the city. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have taken it so seriously."
Prince Qi laughed until his whole body felt refreshed. He picked up his hot tea and took a large gulp. "How could I not use a weakness delivered right to my doorstep? Xiao Rongyan has taken a massive tumble this time. Even if Imperial Father wants him to stay in the military camp, Chu Liuyun won't give him a good look."
Duke Zhenguo's Manor.
The bedroom windows were already open. Duke Zhenguo, who was lying in bed being fed medicine, turned his head slightly to ask Song Jinzhao.
"County Princess, when will my injuries heal?"
Song Jinzhao, who was packing up her medical box, looked up and met his eyes. "You won't be able to get out of bed and walk slowly for another half a month. It takes time for wounds to heal. Moreover, since you had bleeding in your head, you cannot engage in any strenuous activities for at least half a year."
"That long?" Duke Zhenguo's eyes widened, finding it somewhat hard to accept.
Holding the soup spoon, the Duchess of Zhenguo's eyes grew slightly moist; her expression was a mix of anger and anxiety.
"Husband, you almost died. Half a year is not long at all. You are already semi-retired anyway. If you ask me, you should just take this opportunity to officially resign from your post. With Liuyun holding up the family, there's no need for you to worry."
In his youth, Duke Zhenguo spent years on the battlefield. He married late and had children late.
He was over thirty when he had his son, Chu Liuyun. Now in his fifties, and being a military general with chronic hidden injuries, his health was long past its prime.
Had the Emperor not insisted on forcing Prince Ying upon them this time, he wouldn't have gone to the Western Suburbs Camp, as he was worried about leaving Chu Liuyun to deal with it alone.
Deep down, Duke Zhenguo was still somewhat reluctant, but seeing his wife's sorrowful appearance, he ultimately didn't voice any objections, figuring he would discuss it after his injuries healed.
Standing outside the door, Chu Liuyun heard the conversation inside crystal clear.
Thinking of Duke Zhenguo's torn muscles and slightly dislocated shoulder, while Prince Ying was merely punished with confinement, he couldn't suppress the fury in his heart.
Turning around and returning to his study, his personal guard walked in to report: "To the Duke, according to your subordinate's investigation, Chancellor Gu sent people to question the accompanying soldiers, and the rumors were spread by Prince Qi."
With his back turned, Chu Liuyun stared coldly at the unsheathed sword resting on the rack.
"Since that's the case, let's add fuel to the fire. Handle it personally and make it clean. Pin it on Prince Qi and don't let anyone trace it back to us."
The guard nodded vigorously. "Yes, this subordinate will do it immediately."
Xiao Rongyan had only been confined for a day, yet the rumors, instead of dying down, grew increasingly rampant.
Unable to endure the bitter wind and snow, he lay in his carriage and tent all day enjoying himself; in just a few days, he burned through the winter charcoal allowance meant for the two Dukes of the Chu family for two months; he feasted extravagantly in the military camp, having the kitchens prepare hundreds of dishes for him daily; disgusted by the poor conditions of the camp, he sent people overnight to practically move the entire Prince Ying's Manor over—this series of behaviors began spreading among the commoners.
At first, many commoners felt that since Prince Ying was of royal birth, it was normal for someone of such delicate upbringing to be unable to endure hardship and to be a bit extravagant. That was until someone leaked the contents of the Ministry of War's memorial to the throne.
Supervising the army day and night, observing the military conditions, eating and living with the soldiers—he had even received the Emperor's praise for it.
When the two contrasting images were placed side by side, everyone was instantly rendered speechless.
You can be extravagant, and you can be unable to bear hardships, but you cannot resort to deceit and fish for unearned fame.
One must know that the current Emperor only had two princes; the throne would inevitably go to one of them. Flawed character was a massive taboo.
Thus, during the morning court assembly the next day, Prince Ying was impeached.
Ye Liangyu, a man who could not tolerate a single grain of sand in his eyes, stepped out from among the officials holding his jade tablet. He fell to both knees and bowed deeply toward the imperial steps.
"This humble official, Ye Liangyu, wishes to impeach His Highness Prince Ying on three major crimes. I beseech Your Majesty to make a divine judgment!"
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone knew what Ye Liangyu was about to say; such scenes had occurred countless times before his legs were crippled.
However, in the past, he had only impeached officials. Even if Prince Qi and Prince Ying backed them, Ye Liangyu would impeach them without hesitation. Now, his target had directly become a prince.
Xiao Chengjing said in a deep voice, "Speak."
Ye Liangyu kowtowed once more.
"Firstly, the military maintains strict discipline, and everyone from the commander-in-chief down to the foot soldiers advocates frugality. Yet His Highness Prince Ying used luminous pearls worth a thousand pieces of gold as lamps and top-grade silk as carpets, bringing the extravagant ways of Prince Ying's Manor into the military camp. Such actions disrupt military morale and are truly intolerable in the army."
"Secondly, Your Majesty ordered Prince Ying to learn how to become a commanding talent, yet Prince Ying was lazy and negligent, spending his days idling in his carriage and tent to stay warm. He cast Your Majesty's high hopes aside like worn-out shoes. Not only did he make zero contributions to the imperial court, but he also showed unfilial disrespect to Your Majesty."
"Thirdly, Prince Ying practiced extravagance in the military camp but submitted a memorial claiming he attended to everything personally and lived and ate alongside the soldiers. This is blatant deceit and deceiving the sovereign."
Ye Liangyu kowtowed for the third time.
"Your Majesty, he who wishes to pacify the world must first rectify its foundation. If the foundation is upright, the world will be secure; if the foundation is crooked, the world will be in peril. The rise and fall of the nation truly rests upon this."
"The princes are the foundation of the realm. If the root is not straight, the branches will surely grow crooked. This humble official risks death to speak bluntly today, entirely for the sake of the state and our dynasty's eternal foundation! I beseech Your Majesty to investigate clearly and severely punish Prince Ying to set the record straight!"
As soon as his voice fell, not only did the officials of the Censorate step forward one after another to echo his sentiments, but even many military generals knelt down to demand severe punishment for Prince Ying.
Standing at the very front of the officials, Prince Qi couldn't help but lower his head to stifle a laugh.
He had never found Ye Liangyu's words so pleasing to the ear.
The foundation of the nation, the cornerstone of eternal enterprise—this was essentially telling the Emperor point-blank that Prince Ying was unfit to be this foundation. If he were to become it, the Dongzhao Kingdom would be destroyed in his hands.
Facing Ye Liangyu's accusations, officials from Prince Ying's faction immediately stepped forward to explain: "Your Majesty, Vice Censor-in-Chief Ye is truly exaggerating and making malicious accusations."
"When the garrison rotation began, Prince Ying also rode on horseback, braving the wind and snow alongside the soldiers. Later, it was only because of his weak constitution that he was forced to stay in the carriage and tent for warmth. Despite this, His Highness still had his carriage travel alongside the soldiers, constantly monitoring the march."
Ye Liangyu stood up and furiously rebuked the speaker: "Supervising the army from the sidelines while sitting in a carriage encrusted with gold, silver, and jewels? The soldiers were shivering in the freezing cold while His Highness drank tea and kept warm in his carriage. How do you expect the soldiers of the Western Suburbs Camp to feel about that? If this isn't disrupting military morale, what is?"
The official's face turned beet red. "Prince Ying is of noble status; how can he be compared to common foot soldiers?"
Ye Liangyu stepped forward and spat angrily: "Indeed, they cannot be compared. Yet His Highness falsely claimed that he toiled day and night, eating and living with the soldiers. If this isn't deceiving the sovereign, what is?"
Watching the civil officials and censors bickering in a chaotic mess within the grand hall, Xiao Chengjing closed his eyes in sheer exhaustion. When he opened them again, his gaze swept over the silent Prince Qi, Gu Qishan, and the others, and suspicions began to rise in his heart.
For the rumors to spread so quickly, someone had to be pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Was it Duke of Qing taking malicious revenge, or Prince Qi kicking a man while he was down? This matter had to be investigated clearly.
