Ning wang could not wait to leave the hall. Taking his attendants with him, he departed.
Pei shi snorted disdainfully and said to Liu Zhao, “Laoda, take your wife to the palace. Remember to come back early this evening. The whole family will have dinner together.”
With an expressionless face, Liu Zhao acknowledged the instruction. “This son understands. Mufei should also try to take things less seriously.”
Pei shi was immediately annoyed. “I am worried those little vixens will drain your fuwang‘s body dry and cause him to die young.”
“Mufei need not worry. Fuwang knows best how to take care of his health. He will certainly live to a hundred.” Liu Yi moved to Pei Shi’s side and whispered something into her ear, making her laugh.
Watching the scene, Gu Jiu thought it was quite the picture of maternal affection and filial devotion. Unfortunately, Liu Zhao had no place in it.
Liu Zhao seemed like a complete outsider and did not care in the slightest. He said to Gu Jiu, “Let’s go.”
Gu Jiu nodded and followed him out of the hall.
Liu Yi watched the two leave and lowered his eyes with a smile.
Gu Jiu boarded the carriage directly at the second gate, and they set off for the imperial palace.
What she did not expect was that as soon as they left the wang fu, Liu Zhao also climbed into the carriage.
Startled, Gu Jiu coughed several times in succession. Pointing at him, she asked, “Why aren’t you riding a horse?”
As though it were the most natural thing in the world, Liu Zhao replied, “I’m tired today. I won’t ride for now.”
A faint blush rose to Gu Jiu’s cheeks. She could not help thinking of the previous night.
Liu Zhao fixed her with a deep gaze. “You’re blushing?”
Gu Jiu immediately denied it. “Nonsense. I would never blush.”
Oh.
A person who never blushed somehow had ears that had turned red.
Liu Zhao smiled knowingly but did not expose her.
Soon they arrived at the palace gate. After their identities were verified, the two entered through the gate in the carriage.
Gu Jiu lifted the curtain and glanced outside. Curiously, she asked, “Why are we entering through Jinguang Gate?” Didn’t that make us take a longer route?”
Without changing expression, Liu Zhao said, “There are fewer people on this side. With the year-end approaching, Mingde Gate is crowded with people coming and going.”
Gu Jiu was only half convinced.
They reached the second palace gate, and the carriage came to a stop.
Liu Zhao got down first and extended a hand toward Gu Jiu.
Without any hesitation, Gu Jiu placed her hand into Liu Zhao’s warm, dry palm.
With a pull from him, Gu Jiu was practically lifted down from the carriage.
Her cheeks heated up. The moment her feet touched the ground, she quickly widened the distance between them and straightened her collar to avoid any breach of decorum.
With a cool expression, Liu Zhao said, “We’ll first pay our respects at Xingqing Palace, then proceed to Changchun Palace.”
“I’ll follow your lead.”
At this moment, Gu Jiu appeared meek and obedient, every bit the virtuous young wife.
A flicker passed through Liu Zhao’s eyes. He really wanted to know just how many faces Gu Jiu possessed.
Looking at her now, who could possibly imagine that last night she had dared to kick him off the bed?
In Liu Zhao’s heart, being kicked out of bed by his wife was the greatest humiliation.
He was a man. He was magnanimous. He would not stoop to arguing with Gu Jiu.
He said, “Let’s go. We mustn’t keep Imperial Grandfather waiting.”
Gu Jiu inclined her head and followed Liu Zhao toward Xingqing Palace.
Attendant Shen came out to greet them. “Greeting gongzi, furen. His Majesty is currently speaking with His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Why don’t the two of you wait in the side hall?”
Hearing that the Crown Prince was inside, Liu Zhao was not surprised. The Crown Princess being there, however, surprised him.
He asked, “Why is the Crown Princess inside as well?”
Attendant Shen smiled. “Does gongzi not know? The Crown Prince is gravely ill. The Crown Princess was worried and therefore accompanied him when he came to pay his respects to His Majesty.”
So that was possible?
Could it be that the Crown Princess was worried the Crown Prince would go in and never come back out, that the Emperor might have him put to death, and therefore insisted on accompanying him?
Liu Zhao nodded. “Bengongzi understands. Thank you, Attendant Shen.”
“Gongzi is too courteous. Would gongzi and furen like to wait in the side hall, or…”
“The side hall.” Liu Zhao glanced at Gu Jiu.
He personally did not care either way, but Gu Jiu feared the cold. The side hall was warmer.
“Gongzi, furen, this way please.”
The two followed Attendant Shen to the side hall. As expected, it was as warm as spring inside.
Palace servants served tea and pastries before withdrawing.
Gu Jiu dared neither drink the tea nor eat the pastries. It was not because she feared anyone would tamper with things in Xingqing Palace, but because she worried that drinking too much would make her need the latrine later.
Inside the palace, one had to be cautious in both speech and conduct.
Even though Gu Jiu was extremely curious about why the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had been summoned, she restrained herself completely and did not mention it at all.
Standing by the window, Liu Zhao looked outside with a solemn expression.
Inside the main hall, the Crown Prince knelt on the floor.
His face was flushed, and he appeared weak and sickly.
Memorials lay scattered all over the ground. Every one of them contained accusations against the Eastern Palace and the Crown Prince.
Emperor Kaiyao pointed at the Crown Prince and cursed angrily. “Look at yourself. Do you have even the slightest bearing of a ruler? You can’t even manage a mere Eastern Palace and have attracted so many accusations. What else can you accomplish? Useless!”
The Crown Prince trembled all over. His expression was agitated. He opened his mouth several times, yet not a single word emerged.
The Crown Princess also knelt on the floor. “Fuhuang, please take into account the Crown Prince’s grave illness and show some leniency. These matters were carried out by subordinates who concealed them from the Crown Prince. They were not done under his orders. Please see clearly, fuhuang.”
Emperor Kaiyao was burning with anger.
“You think zhen doesn’t know that? If these matters had truly been ordered by the Crown Prince, zhen would already have deposed him. Why would zhen repeatedly summon him, repeatedly remind him, and repeatedly warn him? If he cannot even manage a small Eastern Palace and is constantly deceived by those beneath him, what is he if not useless?”
The Crown Princess’s face turned pale. “Fuhuang is correct. The Crown Prince has been gravely ill recently and has neglected supervision. We never imagined people would dare take advantage of the situation and act recklessly outside while hiding it from him. As for this matter–”
“Enough!”
Emperor Kaiyao shouted angrily at the Crown Princess.
“Stop trying to gloss things over for the Crown Prince. Did these problems only start recently? The Eastern Palace has always been poorly managed. Useless! Fool! In the past, the Empress covered for you. Now that the Empress is gone, you’ve shown your true colors. How could zhen have produced such an incompetent son? You’ve disgraced zhen completely.”
“Erchen… erchen…”
After struggling for a long time, the Crown Prince finally managed to speak.
“Erchen knows his crime.”
Only those words.
No excuses. No defense.
The Crown Princess was frantic. Supporting the Crown Prince, she asked, “Your Highness, are you all right?”
The Crown Prince breathed heavily. “I’m fine. Fuhuang, erchen knows his crime.”
“Shut up!”
Emperor Kaiyao raised his foot and, right in front of the Crown Princess, kicked the Crown Prince squarely in the chest.
The Crown Prince was knocked onto the floor.
The Crown Princess panicked. “Your Highness? Your Highness, are you all right?”
Pain shot through the Crown Prince’s chest. His expression twisted with agony. Yet he still insisted, “I’m fine.”
Pointing at the Crown Prince, Emperor Kaiyao cursed furiously.
“Zhen warned you long ago. A ruler cannot be soft-hearted. When blood needs to be shed, blood must be shed. Have you listened to even a single word zhen ever said?”
“Erchen is foolish. Erchen is guilty.”
Dragging his sick body, the Crown Prince continued kneeling obediently.
“Shut up! Every time it’s ‘I’m foolish,’ every time it’s ‘I’m guilty,’ yet you never change. How did zhen end up with a piece of mud that can’t be propped up against a wall?”
The Crown Prince lowered his head. Cold sweat drenched him. His whole body felt cold and trembled uncontrollably. The pain in his chest grew ever worse.
“Fuhuang, please spare the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is gravely ill. He cannot withstand such severe reproach from fuhuang.”
The Crown Princess burst into tears.
Emperor Kaiyao laughed coldly. “He can’t withstand it? Then what was he doing earlier? Tell me. What was he doing earlier?”
“Fuhuang, the Crown Prince already knows his mistake. He will change. He truly will change.” The Crown Princess repeatedly kowtowed. Again and again. Thump. Thump. Thump. Her forehead was soon broken and bleeding.
With a stern face and innate majesty, Emperor Kaiyao declared, “Get out. All of you, get out. The sight of you irritates me. Get out, get out, get out. Leave immediately.”
The Crown Princess felt as though she had been granted a pardon. Supporting the unsteady Crown Prince, she slowly staggered out of the hall.
The moment they exited, a blast of cold wind struck them. The Crown Prince’s entire body convulsed, and he collapsed toward the ground.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
The Crown Princess turned deathly pale with shock.
The palace servants hurriedly caught the Crown Prince. “His Highness has fainted.”
“Your Highness, you absolutely must not come to harm.” The Crown Princess cried bitterly in grief.
Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu heard the commotion and came out from the side hall.
The Crown Prince was unconscious, his face deathly pale. It seemed his illness truly was serious.
Gu Jiu stepped closer to take a look. She formed a few guesses about the Crown Prince’s condition, but did not dare utter a single word.
The palace servants hurriedly carried the Crown Prince away.
The Crown Princess wiped away her tears, grief-stricken and heartbroken, and hurried after them.
Hearing the disturbance outside, Emperor Kaiyao asked, “What happened?”
Chen Dachang bowed and replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has fallen unconscious. The imperial physicians are being summoned.”
Emperor Kaiyao frowned, greatly displeased. “Zhen only scolded him a few times, and now he dares play the fainting game with zhen? Does he really think zhen wouldn’t dare deal with him?”
Chen Dachang said, “The Crown Prince has been gravely ill lately. No one expected his body to be so weak. It is truly worrying.”
Emperor Kaiyao snorted coldly. The Crown Prince was unfit to rule. Not only was he lacking in ability, even his health was inadequate.
Suddenly, he asked, “Who is outside?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Gongzi Zhao has come with his furen to pay respects.”
The muscles on Emperor Kaiyao’s face instantly relaxed, and his expression softened considerably.
“Let them enter.”
“As Your Majesty commands.”
Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu were summoned into the hall.
“Your grandson greets Imperial Grandfather and wishes Imperial Grandfather good health.”
“Your granddaughter-in-law greets Your Majesty and wishes Your Majesty good health.”
“Rise.”
At this moment, Emperor Kaiyao was no longer angry.
They said affection skipped a generation, and Emperor Kaiyao embodied the saying perfectly.
Toward his sons, whether the Crown Prince or the various princes, he often seemed to wish he could kick them to death.
But toward his many grandsons, he was remarkably amiable.
Take the Crown Prince and the Eldest Imperial Grandson, father and son, for example.
Emperor Kaiyao treated them in completely different ways.
Toward the Crown Prince, he was like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, cold and merciless.
Toward the Eldest Imperial Grandson, however, he was like a spring breeze, a kindly old man.
The Crown Prince had once privately remarked, “I almost wish I were an Imperial Grandson.”
That alone showed how envious he was of the Imperial Eldest Grandson.
Emperor Kaiyao casually asked, “Your fuwang has returned?”
Liu Zhao bowed and answered, “Reporting to Imperial Grandfather, fuwang returned to the fu the day before yesterday.”
Emperor Kaiyao let out a cold laugh. “So he finally came back. Tell him to get his backside over here tomorrow morning.”
“Imperial Grandfather, please calm your anger.” Liu Zhao offered a quiet word of persuasion.
Emperor Kaiyao stiffened his face. “Don’t even think about speaking on your father’s behalf. Do you know what absurd things he did at the imperial mausoleum?”
Liu Zhao lowered his head. “I know a little.”
Emperor Kaiyao’s temper flared immediately, and he began cursing. “That pig-and-dog-inferior thing. He comes back to the capital and doesn’t even enter the palace to pay his respects. Tell him that if zhen doesn’t see him tomorrow morning, zhen will have the Imperial Guards strip his hide off.”
Liu Zhao accepted the order. “Your grandson will faithfully convey Imperial Grandfather’s words to fuwang.”
Emperor Kaiyao instantly lost interest and waved a hand.
“You may leave. That… Gu Jiu.” He paused for a moment before remembering Gu Jiu’s name.
Gu Jiu bowed and said, “Your granddaughter-in-law is here. What instructions does Your Majesty have?”
Emperor Kaiyao casually said, “Take good care of Zhao’er.”
“Your granddaughter-in-law obeys.”
Gu Jiu followed Liu Zhao out of the hall. She had not expected the audience to end so easily.
Liu Zhao seemed to know what she was thinking. Leaning closer, he quietly said, “Imperial Grandfather is still angry and doesn’t wish to speak much with us.”
Gu Jiu immediately understood.
Emperor Kaiyao did not want to vent his anger on his grandchildren, yet he was still full of rage. So he simply dismissed them after a few words rather than risk directing his temper at them.
Gu Jiu quietly asked, “Did fuwang truly do something outrageous while he was at the imperial mausoleum?”
In a casual tone, Liu Zhao replied, “Would desecrating the ancestors count as outrageous?”
Gu Jiu was speechless. Was Ning wang courting death? He had actually dared to desecrate the ancestors.
Suddenly, Liu Zhao took hold of Gu Jiu’s hand. “No need to worry. Imperial Grandfather values the people and agriculture above all else. As long as fuwang hasn’t done anything that harms the people or destroys agriculture, there is still room to maneuver.”
Gu Jiu suddenly understood. “Could it be that the Eastern Palace has done things that harm the people and damage agriculture?”
Liu Zhao smiled. “Something like that.”
In a low voice, Gu Jiu said, “They all say the Crown Prince is benevolent. How could this happen?”
Liu Zhao casually replied, “When a ruler is lax in controlling his subordinates, it is inevitable that some people become bold enough to commit all manner of misdeeds in the name of the Eastern Palace.”
No wonder Emperor Kaiyao was so dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. As a ruler, if he could not control those beneath him, then he was unqualified.
Gu Jiu followed Liu Zhao to Changchun Palace.
Shu fei had already been waiting for them.
“Your grandson greets Grandmother.”
“Your granddaughter-in-law greets niangniang.”
“Rise. Be seated.”
Shu fei‘s expression was indifferent. There was not the slightest sign of joy upon her face.
She casually swept a glance over Gu Jiu before asking Liu Zhao,
“Have you been to Xingqing Palace?”
Liu Zhao bowed slightly. “We have already paid our respects to Imperial Grandfather.”
Shu fei held a teacup lid and stirred the tea leaves.
“I heard that His Majesty summoned the Crown Prince early this morning and gave him a severe scolding. The Crown Prince was so frightened that he fainted. Is it true?”
Liu Zhao nodded. “The Crown Prince did indeed faint.”
Shu fei let out a mocking laugh. “That’s the extent of his ability. Empress Ruizhen Cui spent decades planning for him, only to end up with an A Dou who cannot be supported.”
[T/N: A Dou: Nickname of Liu Shan, son of Liu Bei, who reigned as Shu Han Emperor. A figure of speech for a weak an inept person.]
Liu Zhao remained silent. He disdained speaking ill of the Crown Prince in public.
Shu fei‘s mood improved somewhat. The most obvious sign was the smile that appeared on her face.
She asked again, “I heard the Crown Princess also went to Xingqing Palace?”
Liu Zhao nodded. “That’s correct.”
Shu fei smiled contemptuously. “That woman has more schemes than the Crown Prince. But even Empress Ruizhen Cui couldn’t prop up the Crown Prince, so what makes her think she can? In my opinion, the Crown Prince doesn’t have much time left.”
Liu Zhao frowned.
Shu fei glanced at him. “Are you displeased with me?”
Liu Zhao bowed. “Your grandson would not dare.”
Shu fei snorted. “Bengong know exactly what you’re thinking. This is Changchun Palace. No one dares spread the words spoken by this palace. If bengong couldn’t even manage that much, bengong wouldn’t deserve to sit in the seat of honor here.”
Liu Zhao said, “Your grandson understands.”
Shu fei nodded. “It’s good that you understand. Stop arguing with your si di all day. Put more of your attention into your duties and think more about how to ease your fuwang‘s burdens.
“Liu Yi is your own brother. Surely you understand the principle that brothers must stand together when facing a tiger. Your si di is a good child. You simply have prejudices against him and therefore keep finding fault with him.”
Liu Zhao raised his head and met Shu fei‘s gaze.
“Has Grandmother heard some idle gossip?”
Shu fei smiled. “How could bengong hear idle gossip? Bengong understand the situation between you brothers perfectly well. You are the elder brother. Naturally, you should yield to him a little.”
Liu Zhao laughed. “Grandmother truly shows extraordinary concern for si di.”
Shu fei was displeased. “When you were young, bengong also cared for you deeply. Back then, bengong wanted to marry Qin’er to you, but you refused.
“Later, bengong suggested marrying Pei Yun to you, and you refused that as well. In the end, you chose Gu Jiu yourself.
“Bengong has always planned for your benefit. It is you who failed to cherish the opportunities. How can you harbor resentment?”
“Your grandson does not dare harbor resentment, nor has he ever done so. Xiao Jiu is very good. I am very satisfied with this marriage.” Liu Zhao’s words rang out firmly.
Shu fei glanced at Gu Jiu.
“She is good enough. It’s just a pity that her maternal family is weak and cannot help you. I only hope the Gu family doesn’t drag you down or implicate your fuwang.”
Gu Jiu bowed and replied, “The Gu family would never dare drag gongzi down, nor would we dare implicate fuwang.”
“Silence. Bengong did not permit you to speak.”
Without any provocation whatsoever, Shu fei directly rebuked Gu Jiu.
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