Chapter 153
Discussion erupted across the court. Even the crown prince was stunned by Prince An’s decisive stance.
Everyone was at a loss for words. Even Prime Minister Lin lowered his voice, saying, “Your Highness, you’re confused! Yesterday I already analyzed the situation for you. How could you still… sigh!”
The crown prince’s expression was subtle. Originally, he had no intention of intervening in this matter.
After all, this envoy from Eastern Sea was not a real threat to him.
He understood the potential consequences if the prince were granted a concubine, but in Great Zhao, foreign-born heirs had no chance to inherit the throne.
Moreover, even if a child were born, it would be years in the future.
But the crown prince had never considered that once Zong Yuan entered the palace as a concubine, constant vigilance would be required against his influence over the emperor.
The energy required for that would far exceed simply preventing the marriage now.
The emperor, however, was delighted. When he heard Yuwen Min speak, he immediately beamed with joy. “Oh? Min’er is so considerate of me? I am truly… very gratified!”
Yuwen Min bowed and said, “Father, in matters of state, Your Majesty works tirelessly. To have someone attentive and considerate by your side, I naturally rejoice for you. Yet this is but a small matter; I see no reason for debate.”
The court erupted in chaos. Prince An was in imperial favor, even the crown prince had to yield a little to him.
He had spoken—what else was left to debate?
Yet Prince An, usually valiant and wise, had somehow been muddled on this matter.
At today’s morning court, the ministers were anxious, but the emperor was in high spirits.
After court, Prime Minister Lin pulled Yuwen Min aside, urgently saying, “Your Highness, you’re confused! How can you… how can you support the emperor in this? There are so many issues here we cannot control. And controlling them would require enormous manpower. Have you considered this?”
When Prime Minister Lin spoke, he deliberately included himself with Yuwen Min, saying “we.”
At this point, the Prime Minister’s faction and the Lu household were effectively loyal supporters of Yuwen Min.
The officials were now divided: the Yin-Zou faction supported the crown prince, while the Lu-Lin faction backed Prince An.
Though the two factions seemed evenly matched, the Rong family on the frontier held decisive influence.
Yuwen Min calmly said, “Prime Minister Lin, do not worry. All the issues you fear will not arise—I guarantee it.”
Prime Minister Lin looked puzzled. “Will not arise?”
Yuwen Min replied, “You worry about harem favoritism, interference in governance, the crown prince being replaced, or foreign invasion. Rest assured, I only intend for there to be one more concubine in the harem—nothing more.”
In truth, Lu Hanzhi had been right. Given the emperor’s weak body, abstinence was indeed better.
Last night, Yuwen Min had contacted Lin Chongyun, who happened to have a temporary medicine to dampen desire.
It was colorless, tasteless, and hard to detect.
He had already swapped Zong Yuan’s tea powder with this medicine. It only affected men, not the Xiao Langjun.
So Zong Yuan would continue to enter his fertility period each month, while the emperor… lacked the strength to act on his impulses.
This way, the emperor could be kept cheerful without a single soldier or step wasted, and their goals would still be achieved.
At the thought of that mischievous Lu Hanzhi, Yuwen Min couldn’t help but smile.
He truly wanted to knock on Hanzhi’s head to see what was inside it.
After court, Yuwen Min and Lu Xuzhi did not return to their residence but went to Imperial Concubine Rong.
The Imperial Noble Concubine now managed the harem alone and was extremely busy.
When they arrived, several concubines were just leaving the Chenxi Pavilion.
Yuwen Jue and Lu Xuzhi bowed to Imperial Concubine Rong. She was dressed in her Imperial Noble Concubine ceremonial attire—majestic, elegant, and regal.
Seeing his mother in such splendor, Yuwen Min felt a warmth in his heart.
This time, he had returned to witness his mother and elder brother’s happiness firsthand.
Of course, the unexpected gain of Lu Hanzhi and the little ones was a bonus.
Imperial Concubine Rong, seeing them arrive, said, “Today is the fifteenth; the concubines have come to pay their morning respects. Everyone is here, even Concubine Shu, who rarely concerns herself with harem affairs, has come.”
Concubine Shu was the Fifth Prince’s mother. Her background was modest, but having given birth to the prince, she was promoted to concubine.
She had come to inquire whether the emperor intended to give Zong Yuan to the Fifth Prince or retain him for himself.
If granted to the Fifth Prince, could he be made a commandery prince with land? Could she accompany her son to his fief?
In reality, under the emperor, concubines had no right to follow their sons to their fiefs.
Concubine Shu’s hope was likely in vain.
While discussing the recent harem affairs with the two, Imperial Concubine Rong sighed for the women of the harem.
Yuwen Min asked, “Where is the emperor?”
Imperial Concubine Rong replied, “After court, he went to Xiaoyu Residence in Yangming Palace. Zong Yuan had prepared tea and special Eastern Sea preserved fruits to serve him.”
Yuwen Min nodded. “Did you assign attendants to this Concubine Yu?”
Imperial Concubine Rong nodded. “Two maidens and two eunuchs, all personally selected by me.”
Yuwen Min nodded again. These were the informants he had asked Imperial Concubine Rong to assign.
He only hoped they would be sharp and not miss any useful clues.
Perhaps sensing his intent, Imperial Concubine Rong said, “Rest assured, these four are experienced palace veterans. They are reliable.”
Yuwen Min asked, “How did the Fifth Prince react?”
Imperial Concubine Rong treated all the princes in the palace well. Anyone who wasn’t her own child was treated warmly, like a gentle spring breeze.
She sighed and said, “Qin’er takes after his mother—submissive, mild-mannered, kindhearted, but lacking decisiveness. Whatever the emperor tells him to do, he does it. If the emperor tells him to marry Zong Yuan, he marries Zong Yuan; if the emperor tells him to stay in the palace, he stays. He’s used to complying, to the point where even the senior eunuchs around him barely pay him any mind.”
After all, Concubine Han Shu was just a minor weaving officer—a lowly fifth-rank official.
Because of her gentle and virtuous nature, she was selected into the palace. Though she never received great favor, her meekness meant she faced no major troubles either.
It was just her lowly background that caused her to be looked down upon and neglected.
Yuwen Min considered this and said, “A prince shouldn’t remain in the palace until eighteen before establishing his own residence; that’s too late. Fifteen is sufficient.”
Keeping him in the palace all this time, never seeing the outside world, had made him a timid, compliant prince forever.
Imperial Concubine Rong shook her head. “That rule was set by the Taizu Emperor. He probably thought a child too young wouldn’t be able to assert authority properly.”
Yuwen Min asked, “Did the emperor say where he would grant the Fifth Prince his fief?”
Imperial Concubine Rong shook her head. For the later sons, the emperor hardly paid attention.
With so many sons, he cared mostly about the first three; the others were left to their own devices.
Yuwen Min was different—he had been adopted by Imperial Concubine Rong , and his temperament was unusually distinct.
During a martial contest among the princes, Yuwen Min had already made a name for himself as a prodigy.
At thirteen, he defeated the grown crown prince within just a few moves.
From then on, no one could surpass him in combat, not even the generals who trained them.
Imperial Concubine Rong said, “Qin’er is now sixteen. It’s time to consider this matter. If the emperor has time another day, I will remind him.”
Yuwen Min said, “Since Concubine Shu is from Jiangning, then let the Fifth Prince’s fief be there. It shouldn’t be in a rich region—choose a slightly remote place, but one that can sustain itself.”
Yuwen Min cared for Yuwen Qin partly because Concubine Shu had treated him kindly in the past. She would often give him some of the preserved sweets she carried.
Those Jiangnan treats were quite delicious.
Imperial Concubine Rong nodded, patting her youngest son on the shoulder. “They all say Prince An is cold and heartless, yet who would have thought he was so considerate?”
Yuwen Min had a broad heart; he remembered both kindness and grievances.
After asking a few more questions, they didn’t linger long and left the palace.
Once in the carriage, Yuwen Min said, “Listen carefully. We should succeed today. That Aunt Liu sent to Xiaoyu Residence is the niece of Wet Nurse Liu, and she’s quite competent.”
Lu Xuzhi nodded, and the two returned to their residence together.
At Xiaoyu Residence, the emperor sat cross-legged on a mat, smiling as he admired the jade-like youth before him.
In the curling wisps of tea smoke, the boy’s hair seemed tinged with a faint warmth, as if he had just stepped from the celestial realm.
He looked like a fairy child newly descended to the mortal world—pure, untainted, yet his robes already slightly dampened.
His mind recalled the first meeting with Yin Pingwu. He had worn simple white robes then too, without any luxurious decorations.
The only difference was the small bamboo embroidered on the hem of his robe.
His mother’s name was Ruozhu, so she had all his robes embroidered with a bamboo motif.
From age one to twenty, a full twenty sets of robes had been made.
The youth looked up and smiled, and a cup of fragrant, rich tea was prepared.
He carried the tea over and bowed, presenting it to the emperor. “Your Majesty, please taste this. Tea from Great Zhao is far superior to that of Eastern Sea. Great Zhao’s abundance pleases Zong Yuan greatly.”
The emperor’s eyes softened as he looked at Zong Yuan, glancing over his flawless face before taking the cup and drinking it in one go.
Zong Yuan looked up and smiled. “Your Majesty, would you like to dine here at Xiaoyu Residence? I can prepare some simple dishes for you, featuring Eastern Sea specialties.”
The emperor was delighted and smiled. “Very well, I shall taste your cooking.”
Although the formal edict for the official investiture hadn’t been issued yet, and Zong Yuan was not formally invested, the emperor staying to dine in his quarters was technically irregular.
But the palace belonged to the emperor; as long as he wished, no one could object.
A glint of mischief flashed in Zong Yuan’s eyes, and the celestial boy seemed to transform into a clever imp. He recalled his elder brother’s warning before entering the palace: “Since long nights breed endless dreams, look for opportunities to be close to the emperor.”
Zong Yuan went to the small kitchen to prepare the meal. While arranging ingredients, he discreetly swallowed a packet of medicine.
Even Central Plains apothecaries deserved respect—this medicine could regulate the Xiao Langjun’s monthly cycle and was readily available at an ordinary shop.
Even the virtuous emperor of Great Zhao could not resist the allure of fragrance and charm.
After a short while, Zong Yuan returned to the hall with fragrant rice balls, only to find the emperor leaning back on the couch, asleep.
He gently woke the emperor, and they ate dinner together.
It seemed entirely ordinary, and the emperor even praised his cooking, saying it had a unique and delightful flavor.
After dinner, as the emperor prepared to return to the main palace, Zong Yuan saw he seemed reluctant and said, “I have studied Central Plains music since childhood. The evening is still early; Your Majesty might as well stay a while longer.”
The emperor looked at the exquisitely beautiful youth and chuckled, “Very well, I shall listen a little longer.”
At this moment, the faint but unmistakable scent of charm began to waft through the room.
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