“Truly beyond expectations,” Master Gu remarked in the study, his face still etched with surprise.
“Isn’t the Qin family aligned with the Gao family?”
It was Thirteenth Young Master Qin who had previously stepped in to stop Cheng Jiao-niang from treating Duke Jin’an.
“What’s so strange about that?” Eunuch Jing replied. “Now that there are two imperial relatives by marriage in the court, the Crown Prince’s position is secured. Would the Qin family rather see a deeply rooted Gao family or a Chen family entangled in its own reputation?”
The people in the room nodded in agreement.
“There are no eternal allies in the court,” Master Gu said. “It all comes down to choices based on interests.”
“In that case, Gao Lingjun really has to leave this time,” someone remarked.
Master Gu chuckled.
“This is truly like receiving a pillow when you’re sleepy,” he said. “If he leaves, it will be much easier for us to depart as well.”
At this point, his smile suddenly faltered.
“Exactly, exactly,” the others in the room nodded, their faces breaking into smiles. “Although Gao Lingjun won’t be gone for long, a brief absence is enough for our purposes.”
“If that’s the case, let’s all prepare carefully,” Duke Jin’an said, rising to his feet.
The people in the room stood up and bowed in farewell.
After Duke Jin’an departed, the others scattered as well. Eunuch Jing walked at the back, side by side with Master Gu.
“Let me tell you, His Highness’s sudden proposal to leave the capital is definitely Madam’s idea,” he said.
Master Gu came to an abrupt halt.
“You heard about it?” he asked.
His strong reaction startled Eunuch Jing.
“What’s with the sudden alarm?” he said. “It’s just my guess.”
Master Gu made a sound of acknowledgment.
“Otherwise, why would he suddenly think of leaving when everything was fine?” Eunuch Jing continued walking while chattering on. “No one understands better than you and I how reluctant His Highness is to leave the Crown Prince. Why would he choose to go at a time like this? It must be because he saw Her Highness causing trouble at the Chen family and couldn’t bear to see her heartbroken watching the Chen family’s daughter get married. Rather than endure the distress, he decided to leave and spare himself the sight.”
Master Gu smiled.
“Is that so?” he said.
Eunuch Jing nodded.
“Definitely. Maybe Her Highness even brought it up herself,” he said. “But what a coincidence this is.”
Master Gu stopped walking again.
“In that case, Her Highness’s luck is truly remarkable,” he remarked.
…
“Then Academician Qin’s luck is quite remarkable indeed.”
Yet in the study of the Gao family, a hearty laugh rang out.
“To think he managed to pull words from the imperial daily record to pass off as an imperial decree,” Gao Lingjun exclaimed, slapping the desk as he laughed.
Young Master Gao and the others, however, could find no humor in the situation.
“This is taking words out of context,” one advisor remarked. “This is undoubtedly a case of cherry-picking.”
“Exactly, it’s just a shame no one in the court demanded that he read the actual records at the time,” another advisor added.
“This is the outcome of you not being present in court, Father,” Young Master Gao said resentfully, rising to his feet. “We absolutely cannot let them get their way this time.”
Gao Lingjun merely smiled.
“One must act in accordance with the circumstances,” he said, holding his teacup thoughtfully.
The people in the room were taken aback.
“Father, do you really intend to leave?” Young Master Gao asked in astonishment.
“Of course I must go,” Gao Lingjun replied. “If I don’t leave, how will Chancellor Chen have the chance to shine?”
The people in the room exchanged glances.
“This isn’t a major issue. I’ve said it before – staying is fine, leaving might not be a bad thing either,” Gao Lingjun remarked with a casual air. “Leaving now doesn’t mean I won’t return in the future.”
“But being forced out like this is truly infuriating,” Young Master Gao said indignantly. “Damn that Qin An, stabbing us in the back like this.”
“If you can stab others, you must also be prepared to get stabbed yourself,” Gao Lingjun chuckled. “Let them vent their frustration to avoid cornering them. The most important thing now is the Crown Prince’s grand wedding, the Empress Dowager securing her position, and, above all, ensuring the continuation of the Crown Prince’s bloodline.”
Just as he finished speaking, someone hurriedly entered from outside.
“My lord, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has sent word that the Crown Prince is now capable of consummating the marriage,” the messenger said, kneeling on the floor.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room stood up in delighted surprise.
“Is this true?” Gao Lingjun asked, unable to conceal his excitement.
“Yes,” the messenger replied, kneeling and looking up with a smile. “It’s absolutely certain.”
Gao Lingjun threw his head back and laughed heartily.
“Good, good. I knew the Gao family’s luck wouldn’t turn too sour,” he said, still smiling before his expression grew serious again. “The selection of personnel for the Crown Prince’s palace must be handled with utmost care.”
The advisors quickly acknowledged the order.
“It seems that the abdication can take place as early as next year,” Gao Lingjun remarked, unable to contain his excitement as he paced back and forth. “Let’s go, let’s go now. If I leave now, I’ll be able to return next year to attend the Crown Prince’s enthronement ceremony.”
With that, he flicked his sleeve.
“Prepare the carriage – I’m heading to the palace.”
…
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
Consort An cried out in urgent panic.
“Someone in the Crown Prince’s palace has served him for the night – and this time it’s real! There was even the sign of blood.”
The Empress set down the soup bowl in her hand, personally wiped the Emperor’s mouth, then turned and frowned at her.
Consort An nodded repeatedly, signaling that she was telling the truth.
“Did you see it with your own eyes?” the Empress asked.
Consort An gave an awkward, half-hearted smile.
“Where would I see something like that?” she replied. “But it’s true. The Empress Dowager certainly wouldn’t hide such a matter – she’d probably wish to display the maid’s bloodstain for the whole world to see.”
The Empress couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head.
“How wicked,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, in the Empress Dowager’s palace, a eunuch was holding a small box and unrolling an item before Gao Lingjun.
“Look at this, just look,” the Empress Dowager said, beaming with joy as she pointed.
Gao Lingjun smiled and glanced perfunctorily.
“There’s no need to see. He was always going to be able to do this,” he replied. “The imperial doctors all said that aside from his diminished mental faculties, the Crown Prince is otherwise perfectly normal.”
The Empress Dowager clasped her hands and softly chanted a Buddhist prayer.
“This will set my mind at ease before I depart,” Gao Lingjun added.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s joy over the Crown Prince’s newfound capability instantly faded, replaced by the memory of what had nearly driven her to despair with rage.
“Your Majesty, please remain calm,” Gao Lingjun interjected before she could voice her objections, proceeding to explain in earnest.
“So this time, you truly have no choice but to leave?” the Empress Dowager asked, wiping away tears once he had finished.
“I truly have no choice,” Gao Lingjun affirmed. “But Your Majesty, rest assured – leaving now is far better than leaving after the Crown Prince ascends the throne. Right now, the court is unsettled and minds are wavering. By leaving at this moment, I’m also steering clear of this turmoil.”
The Empress Dowager nodded. Knowing that the Crown Prince could consummate a marriage and father children brought her a sense of profound relief.
“Regarding court matters, Your Majesty should place full authority in the hands of Chen Shao and others,” Gao Lingjun said.
The Empress Dowager’s eyebrows arched slightly.
“Your Majesty, what truly matters is that you maintain control over affairs within the palace,” Gao Lingjun added, hurrying to soothe her once more.
The Empress Dowager took another deep breath.
“That’s true. Chen Shao’s daughter is in my hands – he’d best remember what he’s supposed to do,” she said with a cold hum.
“Your Majesty grows more formidable by the day,” Gao Lingjun remarked with a smile. “No longer as quick to tears as before.”
The Empress Dowager smiled faintly, then lifted a hand to wipe away a tear.
“Crying… crying doesn’t help anymore,” she sighed. “Life must go on, after all.”
Gao Lingjun nodded in agreement.
“Exactly so,” he said. “Life will only get better with time. No matter how difficult, this too shall pass.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, releasing a long sigh.
“Your Majesty must keep yourself strong and healthy – the future imperial grandson will need to be nurtured by your very hands,” Gao Lingjun added with a smile.
The Empress Dowager laughed heartily at his words.
Amidst the laughter and joy, a eunuch hurried in from outside, carrying a scroll of memorials in hand.
“Your Majesty, this has been submitted by the Imperial Archives,” he said, kneeling and presenting it.
The Empress Dowager pursed her lips.
“In their eyes, I am nothing but a seal of authority,” she remarked, gesturing for someone to bring the imperial seal. “I can only give consent, never oppose. But when it comes to what I wish to do, they often object instead. Was the Emperor this stifled too?”
That depended on what the Emperor truly wanted.
Gao Lingjun smiled faintly to himself.
If the Emperor’s bottom line were truly pushed, even the resignation of a chancellor from the Imperial Archives would not stand in the way.
The eunuch brought the imperial seal. The Empress Dowager unrolled the memorial and immediately her expression shifted.
“Good heavens,” she exclaimed with surprise. “They’re actually requesting that Duke Jin’an leave the capital!”
She tossed the memorial aside.
“Utterly absurd,” she declared, glancing at Gao Lingjun. “Are these people so full and idle they have nothing better to do? They meddle incessantly, never knowing when to stop.”
She remembered Gao Lingjun’s earlier counsel clearly.
“Take it back, take it back,” she said, waving for the eunuch to retrieve the imperial seal.
But Gao Lingjun reached out to stop him.
“Wait,” he said, his expression shifting momentarily. “In fact, having Duke Jin’an leave the capital might not be such a bad thing.”
The Empress Dowager was taken aback.
“Why would that be good?” she asked.
“The reason I was hesitant and didn’t want him to leave the capital before was because of the Crown Prince’s health. Now that this appears to be no longer an issue, there’s no need to hold Duke Jin’an back any longer,” Gao Lingjun said with a faint smile. “Besides, since this proposal has come from Chen Shao, it might well present a good opportunity.”
A good opportunity?
The Empress Dowager looked at him, her expression puzzled.
Gao Lingjun said nothing more, merely smiling as he gestured for the Empress Dowager to apply the seal.
“Actually, this might be for the better,” the Empress Dowager said, deciding not to press further. She reached out and took the imperial seal from the eunuch. “I’ve long grown tired of seeing him, anyway.”
The imperial seal came down heavily upon the memorial.
Now, be gone.
…
With a clatter, Master Gu sprang up in surprise upon hearing the news, overturning the small table before him. Tea bowls and scrolls scattered and rolled across the floor.
But he paid them no mind, his gaze fixed intently on the messenger before him.
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has granted permission for His Highness to leave the capital?” he asked again, seeking confirmation.
The messenger nodded.
“The imperial seal has already been affixed. The Imperial Archives will issue the decree tomorrow,” he replied, somewhat taken aback by Master Gu’s uncharacteristic loss of composure.
Still, it was understandable – everything had happened so suddenly, leaving no time to prepare.
“It was Chancellor Chen who submitted the memorial,” the messenger added.
Was it because the Princess Consort had caused a disturbance at the Chen family?
Had His Highness ultimately been implicated because of the Princess Consort?
Master Gu, however, paid no attention to the servant’s speculations. His expression shifted subtly for a moment.
“This is too much of a coincidence,” he murmured, unable to resist glancing back toward the inner residence.
This is too much of a coincidence!
This is too much of a coincidence!
