Appoint a crown prince.
Even though she had already made preparations, when the Empress Dowager truly heard these words, she felt somewhat disheartened.
Appoint a crown prince.
He hadn’t asked to appoint one earlier, nor later. Only now, when there was no heir, did he speak of it.
“Granted,” she said slowly.
With this word of approval, the palace attendant summoned the imperial academician on duty and conveyed the Empress Dowager’s decree.
Due to the Emperor’s critical illness, court assemblies had been suspended. However, aside from the officials taking turns keeping vigil in the palace, all others strictly remained in their respective offices. The Empress Dowager’s summons sent hearts racing among them.
Had the Emperor passed away?
The officials hurriedly rushed over. Only when they saw that the destination was not the Emperor’s bedchamber but the front hall did they breathe a sigh of relief.
The Empress Dowager’s carriage departed from the Empress Dowager’s palace and headed toward the front hall. Duke Jin’an, who had been approaching, halted in his tracks.
“Her Majesty is busy at the moment, so I’ll come back another day to pay my respects,” he said, turning around. “I’ll go check on Prince Qing.”
Prince Qing was currently residing in the Empress Dowager’s palace. From a distance, Prince Qing’s shouts could already be heard.
“It seems something isn’t to his liking again,” Duke Jin’an remarked, quickening his pace.
“Your Highness.”
A palace attendant stepped out from the side, bowing low to block the way.
Duke Jin’an was taken aback.
“Your Highness, Prince Qing is about to sleep,” the eunuch said. “Perhaps Your Highness could visit another day.”
Sleep?
“Prince Qing would never sleep at this time,” Duke Jin’an replied.
The eunuch remained with his head bowed, his demeanor respectful.
“That was before,” he said unhurriedly. “Now, under Her Majesty’s care, Prince Qing’s routine includes sleeping at this hour.”
Duke Jin’an looked at the eunuch and smiled.
“Is that so,” he remarked, nodding slowly. “Very well, I understand.”
With that, he turned and began to walk away.
“Your Highness,” an elderly eunuch personally escorted him out, lowering his voice as he spoke. “Your Highness need not worry. Prince Qing is doing perfectly well.”
Duke Jin’an glanced at him and smiled again.
“Indeed, of course he is well,” he said. “I suppose no one would dare treat him poorly now.” He turned to glance back once more, the faint sounds of Prince Qing’s shouts still drifting from the palace.
“Indulge him a little. He is not easily tired – if he likes to run, let him run. Do not restrain him too much.”
The elderly eunuch humbly agreed.
“Your Highness, it is time for you to return,” he said, lowering his voice further. “Important matters are about to be deliberated in the front hall.”
…
Qin Hu walked out the door and slowly made his way along the street. When he finally spotted Zhou Fu sitting by the roadside, a genuine smile finally appeared on his face.
“Did you come here to enjoy the breeze?” he asked, lifting the hem of his robe as he settled down beside Zhou Fu.
Zhou Fu did not look at him.
“It was right of you not to come looking for me,” Qin Hu said. “What I know is no more than what you already do – nothing new or noteworthy. Besides, if there’s anyone who could help in this matter, it’s really a minor issue, and you don’t need to worry.”
Zhou Fu turned to look at him.
“That person isn’t me,” Qin Hu said, shaking his head with a smile. “It’s Duke Jin’an.”
“Him?” Zhou Fu frowned. “With something like this having happened, the Empress Dowager surely won’t agree to their marriage.”
“Sincere intentions work wonders,” Qin Hu replied. “If he sincerely requests to marry her and voluntarily asks for a fiefdom to leave the capital, I believe the Empress Dowager will agree.”
“Request a provincial post?” Zhou Fu said. “Why would he seek an assignment outside the capital when everything is going well for him?”
“Going well?” Qin Hu also looked at him. “When has everything ever truly gone well for him? As a member of the imperial clan, what reason does he have to insist on staying in the capital? The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have indulged and doted on him, but should he really remain here so comfortably, allowing the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to face criticism from the scholars and officials?”
For an imperial clansman to carry himself the way Duke Jin’an did was indeed rather ostentatious. Since childhood, he had been criticized by scholars and officials for his status as a “precocious prodigy,” and now, grown up, instead of withdrawing from the capital to avoid scrutiny, he had distinguished himself and built a reputation.
“Besides, with the Emperor critically ill, Prince Ping having passed away, and Prince Qing disabled, why does he keep going to the palace day after day?” Qin Hu said, a faint sneer at the corner of his mouth. “What does he intend to do?”
“What he intends to do has nothing to do with me,” Zhou Fu interrupted. “All I want to know is what will become of my sister. According to what you said, does that mean she should leave the capital with Duke Jin’an?”
“She doesn’t have to leave,” Qin Hu replied. “But the problem is, she refuses to marry me.”
Zhou Fu glared at him.
“Actually, there’s something I’ve never quite understood,” he said.
Qin Hu looked at him and gestured for him to continue.
“Has she done anything wrong?” Zhou Fu asked.
Qin Hu was momentarily taken aback.
“Has she ever committed any fault?” Zhou Fu pressed further, then stood up.
Qin Hu continued to gaze at him.
“I’ll take my leave now. I’ve enjoyed enough of the cool air,” Zhou Fu said, offering a slight smile and a cupped-hand salute. “Thank you for coming to find me.”
Qin Hu watched as he mounted his horse and swiftly rode away.
She had done nothing wrong. Throughout, it was others who first provoked her, speculated about her, resented her, and schemed against her…
No wrong, no fault – why should she be the one to yield or retreat?
Was it simply because they were part of the imperial family?
Yet, if she neither yielded nor retreated, what other path could there be?
“Young Master!”
The voice interrupted his thoughts. Qin Hu looked up and saw his father’s trusted attendant approaching hurriedly.
His father was in the palace at that moment – could it be that something had happened there…
Qin Hu quickly rose to his feet.
“The discussion on appointing an heir has begun,” the attendant whispered as he drew near.
…
The atmosphere in the Hall of Diligent Governance felt heavy and oppressive.
“Have I not made myself clear enough?”
The Empress Dowager could no longer endure the lingering silence.
“Why do you not speak?”
Had she not already stated that the matter at hand was the appointment of an heir? Yet, ever since the ministers entered, they had first inquired about the Emperor’s health, then discussed the arrangements for Prince Ping’s burial, digressing endlessly until now – with the crucial subject remaining untouched.
No wonder Prince Ping had been unwilling to attend court in the past. Such tediousness was truly insufferable.
But she had no time to waste on their evasions.
The Empress Dowager had no choice but to repeat herself.
“Your Majesty, to whom does your favor incline?” Chen Shao asked.
The Empress Dowager looked at him with a somewhat strange expression.
Wasn’t that a redundant question? Who else could it possibly be?
“Of course, Prince Qing,” the Empress Dowager said.
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence once more.
…
“The court officials must be at a loss for what to say.”
The Empress spoke as she carefully wiped the Emperor’s face.
“No, it’s not that they don’t know what to say – it’s that they cannot say it,” Cheng Jiao-niang responded.
The Empress turned to look at her and offered a faint smile.
“That’s right. No one wants to bear the reputation of supporting a foolish and incompetent person to the throne,” she said. “It’s a farce, yet one that evokes no laughter.”
The Empress stood up and glanced at the peacefully slumbering Emperor. “Especially for me – there is truly nothing to laugh about.”
A palace maid hurried in from outside.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty – something terrible has happened. Consort An has attempted suicide,” she reported.
The Empress’s expression shifted slightly.
“Was she not saved in time?” she asked urgently.
“She was saved, she was saved,” the palace maid replied in a low voice. “But she now refuses to eat or take her medicine.”
The Empress sighed and looked at Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Consort An has always held deep affection for His Majesty. Hearing this news has nearly broken her. Perhaps I should follow her example – when His Majesty passes, I shall accompany him,” she said.
“Yes, that way, as Empress, you would be honored in burial, granted a dignified end, and spared future torment,” Cheng Jiao-niang responded.
At these words, the Empress was taken aback.
“Lady Cheng, it seems I have underestimated your boldness,” she remarked.
“I simply dislike speaking falsehoods,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
“Yet your truth is far too extreme,” the Empress said, shaking her head. “I am the Empress. Even if the Emperor is no more, I will still be the Empress.”
“Your Majesty is well aware that once Prince Qing is established as Crown Prince and an internal abdication occurs, the Empress Dowager will inevitably hold court from behind a screen,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“Then I would become the Empress Dowager,” the Empress replied.
“That is not necessarily certain. Even Empress Dowager Yang was once demoted to commoner status and left to freeze and starve to death,” Cheng Jiao-niang responded.
The Empress’s expression shifted slightly.
“But our dynasty has no Jia Nanfeng,” she retorted sternly.
“Yet our dynasty is about to have an Emperor Hui,” Cheng Jiaoniang countered. “First comes Emperor Hui, then comes Jia Nanfeng.”
“Even if there were a Jia Nanfeng, the clans of my family are not power-hungry officials,” the Empress said, clenching her hands and shaking her head. “Lady Cheng, you are overthinking matters. I am merely a woman who cannot and does not understand court affairs or state matters. Matters of the court are for the ministers to handle. Whether the nation prospers or declines, I can only remain within the palace, praying for heaven’s protection and mercy.”
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled faintly.
“Your Majesty, although your father has not overstepped his authority or provoked others, you yourself have already aroused resentment in some,” she said. “The Imperial Consort’s madness, Prince Ping’s death – Your Majesty does not truly believe that the Empress Dowager’s suspicion and hatred are directed solely at me, a commoner, do you?”
The Empress’s expression changed once again.
“Your Majesty understands this perfectly well – why make me state it outright?” Cheng Jiao-niang continued. “At most, I am guilty of complicity. The concealment of the celestial omen, Consort An’s pregnancy and loss of the child, Prince Ping’s death by lightning strike, the Emperor’s illness brought on by rage – all of these could be blamed on me. If the Empress Dowager will not spare me, she certainly will not spare the mastermind. If she can find a pretext to kill me, she can surely find one to kill the mastermind as well. Perhaps for now, the Empress Dowager hesitates to move against the mastermind. But as she gradually consolidates power day by day, taking control of both the palace and the court, once the palace gates are sealed, who will remember there was ever an Empress Dowager? Who will even care whether she lives or dies?”
“Outrageous!” the Empress exclaimed sharply.
Cheng Jiao-niang fell silent, but the Empress remained seething with anger, pacing back and forth.
“A girl like you – at a time like this, instead of devoting yourself to His Majesty’s treatment and easing his worries, you come here to sow discord within the inner palace. You truly deserve death a thousand times over!” she said, coming to an abrupt halt. “Is this what you refer to as my incurable illness? Utter nonsense!”
Cheng Jiao-niang remained silent. She took a step forward and, in a sudden motion, reached for a pot of touch-me-not flowers placed by the window.
“What are you doing?” the Empress cried out.
Cheng Jiao-niang grabbed the pot of touch-me-nots and dashed it to the floor.
The Empress gasped in alarm.
“I have truly gained insight today – turns out, even the touch-me-not flowers in the palace are nurtured with medicinal tonics,” Cheng Jiao-niang remarked, her gaze fixed on the floor.
The flowerpot had shattered, scattering soil that revealed a hidden layer of medicinal dregs.
“I have heard that the Empress Dowager, moved by Your Majesty’s diligence, specially bestowed these nourishing soups upon you,” Cheng Jiao-niang continued. “I wonder how they taste. Why does Your Majesty not dare to try them?”
“Who told you this? Did Duke Jin’an say something?” the Empress asked, her composure no longer as steady as before, her hands tightening around the silk handkerchief she held.
“Your Majesty, although I may not be able to cure His Majesty’s wind stroke, I do know a thing or two about medicinal principles and remedies,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied. “The medicines His Majesty uses in these chambers have a different scent from these so-called tonics. They may deceive others, but they cannot deceive me.”
The Empress’s expression shifted rapidly.
“Why not drink these tonics, then wait for His Majesty’s passing and follow him? Such profound devotion between husband and wife would indeed evoke both sorrow and admiration,” Cheng Jiao-niang pressed on.
The Empress’s demeanor grew weary and defeated.
“Yes, you are right. I do indeed suffer from an incurable illness,” she admitted. “But what is to be done?”
…
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed through the hall.
“Speak! What exactly do you all intend to do?”
The Empress Dowager’s voice was filled with rage.
“Isn’t it simply because you look down on Prince Qing for being a fool, afraid it will tarnish your reputations? Then tell me, what else can be done? He is the only bloodline left from His Majesty. Do you think I, the Dowager, do not care about my own reputation?”
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”
The courtiers hurriedly bowed in deference.
“Spare me the formalities!” the Empress Dowager snapped. “I have no patience to dance around with you. Let me be clear – I have only Prince Qing as my grandson now. What to do about it is for you to decide!”
Her words carried a heavy weight.
Which of these ministers would dare to decide the matter of the imperial throne?
Indeed, a woman’s emotions could be utterly unreasonable. The courtiers exchanged glances, silently communicating their thoughts and shaking their heads inwardly.
If Prince Qing ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager would undoubtedly govern from behind the screen.
With such a capricious and unreasonable woman, one could only imagine what the court would become.
“I petition for the investiture of Prince Qing as Crown Prince,” Chen Shao stepped forward and declared.
His words sent a shockwave through the entire court.
No one had expected Chen Shao to be the one to step forward and advocate for the appointment of Prince Qing, a man of limited faculties, as Crown Prince.
Truly, the ways of the world were in decline, each generation falling short of the last. Now, even those who might have once feigned drunkenness to tactfully protest, as Wei Guan did, dared not do so.
It seemed that without the Emperor’s backing, even Chen Shao had lost his former confidence.
The courtiers exchanged meaningful looks among themselves.
Equally surprised were Gao Lingjun’s faction and the Empress Dowager herself.
According to Gao Lingjun’s predictions, Chen Shao should have been the first to voice opposition. Once he began speaking against it, he would have persisted with unwavering firmness, for to backtrack would have destroyed his reputation for integrity. Ultimately, he would have inevitably clashed with the Empress Dowager, and the only course left for him would have been to resign in anger and walk away.
He should have been gone long ago!
But who would have expected Chen Shao to be the first to voice support instead?
What trick was he playing?
Everyone present exchanged bewildered glances. After a moment of shock, the Empress Dowager felt a surge of delight.
Although Gao Lingjun disliked Chen Shao, the Empress Dowager knew that he was someone the Emperor had valued highly. She was not keen on forcing out a minister the Emperor had relied upon so soon after his illness. She could already imagine the harsh criticism she would face from scholars and commoners alike if she did so.
This was excellent, truly excellent.
“At this time, it is indeed so, it is indeed so,” the Empress Dowager nodded in agreement. She was just about to order the drafting of the edict when Chen Shao bowed once more.
“As His Majesty’s sacred body is unwell and the Crown Prince himself is not yet mature, I humbly request that Your Majesty appoint regent ministers to assist the Crown Prince in governance,” he declared clearly.
His words sent a wave of shock through the entire assembly.
Well, well – how could the likes of Wei Guan, who feigned drunkenness to offer a single suggestion and then fell silent when the emperor pretended not to hear, ever compare to Chen Shao?
So they knew things wouldn’t be that simple!
Thump!
A sharp sound echoed as the Empress Dowager rose furiously from the four-legged stool behind the imperial throne, pointing a trembling finger at Chen Shao.
“How audacious! Chen Shao! What kind of person do you take me to be?” she roared in anger.
…
“Chancellor Chen said he dares not comment on Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s conduct, only…” The eunuch knelt before her, speaking in a low voice, then hesitated.
“Only what?” the Empress asked.
“Only that Chancellor Chen mentioned the need to prevent a recurrence of the Yang clan’s follow-the-king affair,” the eunuch said.
The Empress let out a soft laugh.
“Chancellor Chen might as well be pointing his finger at the Empress Dowager and openly rebuking her,” she remarked. “Such a reputation – who would willingly shoulder it?”
“Indeed, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager kicked over a table, tore down the screen curtains, and stormed off in a rage,” the eunuch whispered.
“It seems the Empress Dowager’s wish to govern from behind a screen will not come so easily,” the Empress said, unable to suppress a flicker of amusement in her eyes.
“Whether the Empress Dowager governs from behind a screen or not is merely a matter for the court. For the inner palace, it makes little difference,” Cheng Jiao-niang responded.
The Empress’s expression stiffened once more.
“What, then, would make a difference?” she asked.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at her.
“Adoption,” she said.
Adoption!
The Empress was stunned, her expression shifting dramatically as she abruptly rose to her feet.
“Cheng Jiao-niang! What position are you trying to put me in?” she exclaimed.
