The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 110 Establishing Authority
Seeing that her elder sister’s gaze remained fixed on the field, Wang Jingyan lost interest as her probing question went unanswered. She withdrew her gaze.
It seemed unlikely that her elder sister, who had always been conservative and steady, would show interest in an illegitimate son.
In the final result of the “Yuanju” game, the Southern Yamen narrowly defeated the Northern Yamen with a score of 6 to 5. Emperor Hui clapped in approval.
“Everyone will be rewarded.”
As the crowd remained excited, the second event, ice archery, began immediately.
In the center of the ice field, the palace attendants set up three decorated archways with colorful flags, with hanging colorful balls used for the shooting.
The Southern and Northern Yamen each selected 200 skilled soldiers who were adept at ice skating. Dressed in red and yellow uniforms and equipped with ice skates, they lined up in two wings, holding bows and arrows, ready for action.
At the signal from the announcer, the archers swiftly took off, gliding towards the archways with lightning speed, their movements as swift as shooting stars.
The archers displayed their skills with impressive techniques. Some, with exceptional archery skills, shot arrows from a distance, while others skated past the archways, turning back to shoot rapidly. Each archer demonstrated agility, creating a spectacular scene that drew continuous praise from the spectators.
In previous years, Emperor Hui himself participated in ice archery and achieved commendable results.
However, this year, due to health issues, Emperor Hui had to reluctantly remain on the sidelines, though he almost couldn’t resist the urge to try several times.
———-
The next event was speed skating, and interestingly, this year’s rules had undergone some changes compared to previous years.
In past years, the participants were all soldiers, but this year’s new rule allowed court officials and their families, who were spectators today, to join in. Additionally, palace servants would periodically toss pre-prepared embroidered pouches onto the ice. These pouches contained either gold and silver or imperial items from the Minor Treasurer, serving as rewards and adding to the fun for both the Emperor and the courtiers.
The announcement stirred excitement among the crowd.
While obtaining imperial items was appealing, the chance to be seen by the Emperor was a unique opportunity. Some simply enjoyed the playful aspect of skating on the imperial ice field, which was thrilling in itself.
For example, Qin Xi.
Rubbing her hands together, Qin Xi approached Qin Yan with a smile, “Eldest… Taizifei, may I also join in the fun?”
Qin Yan looked up at Qin Xi, and before she could respond, Feng Yuyao chimed in with a smile, “Why not? Go ahead and grab as many rewards as you can!”
“Thank you, Princess.” Qin Xi was overjoyed and quickly ran back to the rear, grabbing Qin Lin along the way.
“Hurry, Qin Lin, we need to get a good position!”
Qin Lin hadn’t originally intended to join in the excitement, but Qin Xi was straightforward and had no ulterior motives. Seeing that Qin Xi was eager, Qin Lin decided to accompany her to keep an eye on things. So, she put on a pair of ice skates and joined Qin Xi on the ice.
Inside the Qingxiao Pavilion, Wang Jingyan glanced at the twins as they hurried off and sneered inwardly.
“Hmph, they must be from a lower background to be so excited about these small rewards.”
Qin Yan summoned Shen Ying and calmly instructed, “Send someone to keep an eye on them.”
“Yes, Master.” Shen Ying immediately left the Qingxiao Pavilion to carry out the order.
Feng Yu Yao looked at Qin Yan with raised eyebrows, “Yan Yan, you’re being overly cautious. Who would dare to scheme in the imperial palace? What could possibly happen…”
Feng Yuyao’s words trailed off as she suddenly recalled an incident that occurred at Taiye Pool. Qin Yan had once accidentally fallen into the water and nearly drowned.
What if that hadn’t been an accident?
The palace was a treacherous place where anything could happen.
Qin Yan played with the cup in her hand, not touching the wine, her gaze fixed on the ice rink, lost in thought.
————
Many young masters and young ladies took to the ice, with palace attendants guiding them to the southern side of Taiye Pool and warning them that the ice was weak at the eastern and western corners, advising them not to venture that way.
Hundreds of palace servants, holding trays, stood along the eastern and western banks of the ice rink.
The starter waved the signal flag three times, and the palace attendants began tossing the embroidered pouches onto the ice.
The young masters and young ladies, wearing ice skates, surged forward like arrows, racing eagerly towards the pouches.
The ice surface sparkled with ice flowers as everyone skated and jostled for the pouches. The spectators on the sidelines cheered and shouted, adding to the lively atmosphere.
Once the pouches on the ice were collected, the palace servants started tossing another batch of pouches. Laughter and joyful shouts filled the rink, though some minor scuffles occurred during the scramble. However, with the emperor present, no one dared to use excessive force.
Qin Xi, satisfied with the pouches she had gathered, tucked them into her arms, while Qin Lin simply followed closely behind and did not participate in the competition.
After a couple of rounds, a few young masters and young ladies cast displeased looks at Qin Xi and Qin Lin. They whispered among themselves and, as the palace servants began tossing out more pouches, these individuals took advantage of the chaos to push a large tiger-shaped ice sculpture located on the western bank.
The tiger-shaped ice sculpture, now being pushed with force, began to roll toward the direction where Qin Xi and Qin Lin were skating north. The collision was imminent as the sculpture picked up speed and headed straight for the twin sisters.
Qin Xi was bent over, picking up an embroidered pouch, when she suddenly heard several gasps around her. She and Qin Lin quickly turned around to see a massive ice sculpture hurtling toward them at high speed.
Qin Xi was frozen in fear, unable to move as the ice sculpture neared. Qin Lin, acting on instinct, pushed Qin Xi aside and attempted to slide away herself.
However, the ice beneath Qin Lin’s skates cracked with a sharp “crack.” She realized that they were at the northwest corner where the ice was already weakened, and the ice sculpture was pressing down on the fragile ice layer.
As Qin Lin prepared to make another move, her footing gave way, and the ice sculpture began to topple in her direction.
Desperately, Qin Lin turned her back to the falling sculpture and braced herself for the impact, ready to fall into the water.
Just then, she felt a tall man firmly grasp her from behind. With a muffled grunt, it seemed as though the man’s back was struck by the ice sculpture, and both of them plunged into the icy lake.
As they fell into the lake, the man quickly began swimming them to safety. The ice sculpture, having fallen through the broken ice, slowly floated up and covered the hole, preventing further immediate danger.
When Qin Lin turned to see who had saved her, she recognized the man. It was Feng Subei.
Feng Subei gestured to Qin Lin, asking if she could hold her breath.
Qin Lin nodded in response.
Feng Subei held Qin Lin tightly around the waist as they swam upwards. He pounded on the ice layer with his hands, but it seemed to make no difference. Qin Lin, despite her situation, calmly pointed toward the northwest corner, directing him where to go. Feng Subei was not surprised by Qin Lin’s composure as she had always been an exceptionally intelligent woman.
After covering a distance of about ten feet, Feng Subei struck the ice layer again.
He hit once, twice, three times…
Under the icy water, Qin Lin looked at Feng Subei’s slightly tense, handsome face, her eyes turned slightly moist. She wasn’t sure if it was the sting of the cold water or something else that brought the moisture to her eyes.
Just as Qin Lin was starting to struggle while holding her breath, Feng Subei managed to crack the ice layer. At the same time, soldiers from the imperial guards above had broken through the ice where they had fallen, and one by one, they jumped down to assist.
Feng Subei struck the ice a couple more times until a gap opened above them, and he pulled Qin Lin to the surface.
Palace servants and imperial guards rushed over immediately.
Qin Xi, with tears in her eyes, ran over, crying out, “Qin Lin, Qin Lin…”
When she saw that Qin Lin was safe, Qin Xi broke down, crying loudly.
Qin Xi held tightly onto Qin Lin as she was pushed up from the ice by Feng Subei. Qin Lin, however, turned her gaze towards the water’s surface, and Feng Subei remained still, his eyes locked on her.
Palace servants quickly brought over two thick velvet blankets. After Qin Xi expressed her gratitude, she wrapped Qin Lin securely in one of the blankets.
Feng Subei then emerged from the water, taking the blanket to wipe his face. It seemed that the icy water had little effect on him.
The palace servants then led Qin Xi, Qin Lin, and Feng Subei to the prepared palace rooms to change into dry clothes.
Though this incident caused some commotion, it was a minor interruption. Meanwhile, the speed skating competition had concluded, and the ice-skating acrobatics performance had begun.
On the ice, a variety of intricate and impressive skating routines were showcased, some involved skaters performing handstands, others featured human pyramids, and some skaters combined drumming and swordplay with their moves. The array of performances dazzled the audience, who responded with enthusiastic applause and exclamations.
In the Qingxiao Pavilion, Shen Ying quickly approached Qin Yan and whispered something in her ear.
Qin Yan’s eyes narrowed sharply, and she spoke coldly, “Take them into custody.”
Feng Yuyao looked towards Shen Ying, who was quickly leaving, and asked, “What happened?”
Qin Yan rapped her fingers on the table, a cold laugh escaping her lips. “Hmph, someone actually dared to cause trouble on the palace grounds.”
Before Feng Yuyao could ask further, a sudden shout from the performance area drew her attention away.
———–
At this moment, a young woman dressed in a red gauze dress was gliding gracefully across the ice surface in the center of the rink.
Her black hair flowed in the wind, and the light gauze on her dress fluttered as she moved swiftly. To add to the enchanting scene, snowflakes began to gently fall from the sky, making the sight even more captivating.
The spectators, including those in the Water Pavilion where Emperor Hui was seated, were mesmerized. Emperor Hui appeared somewhat dazed as if he was recalling a similar scene from his youth, when he had seen someone dancing in red on the ice in winter, bright and spirited.
Imperial Concubine Jing and Imperial Concubine Shu maintained their composure. On such a grand occasion, a standout performer usually aimed to attract the attention of either the emperor or one of the princes. Since they had not received prior notice about this person, it was clear that she was not the one they were expecting today.
Imperial Concubine Ning noticed the change in Emperor Hui’s expression and felt a twinge of unease. She knew that if the emperor was this impressed, the dancer must be someone extraordinary.
After praising her, Emperor Hui motioned for the dancer to approach. His voice carried admiration and pleasure.
“Such a wonderful person.”
At this moment, a court official was led over.
Emperor Hui looked at the official and asked, “Is this the young lady from your family?”
The official was Xu Wei, the Chief of the Imperial Censor Bureau. He knelt on the ground and replied, “Your Majesty, this is my daughter Xu Yun.”
Emperor Hui nodded in satisfaction.
Xu Wei’s heart raced. He had made extensive preparations for this event, but it was intended to impress the Taizi. However, the Taizi had not yet arrived at the ice rink, and it seemed that his daughter had caught the Emperor’s attention. This was unexpected…
Emperor Hui smiled and said, “Lord Xu’s daughter is quite impressive. She will be rewarded generously.”
Xu Wei’s heart sank. This was not going as planned.
Nevertheless, the father and daughter could only thank the Emperor for his great favor.
After the rewards were announced to the participants, the banquet concluded.
Emperor Hui and the imperial concubines left first. It seemed that the Emperor was in high spirits today and wished to stay in the Xi Garden for another day. The Imperial Guards were to escort the concubines back to the palace on their own, and even the recently favored Imperial Concubine Ning was not retained.
Imperial Concubine Jing, Imperial Concubine Shu, and Imperial Concubine Ning all understood the reason behind the Emperor’s actions.
That night, the young woman in the red dress who had danced on the ice earlier was summoned by the Emperor’s decree through Li Fuquan, and she stayed in the Xi Garden.
As Emperor Hui was leaving, a palace servant whispered something into Li Fuquan’s ear.
Li Fuquan approached the Emperor and reported, “Your Majesty, the Taizifei seems to be dealing with a few people.”
Emperor Hui narrowed his eyes and then said, “Changyuan.”
Xie Changyuan stepped forward and saluted, “Your Majesty.”
“Go take a look,” Emperor Hui instructed calmly.
Xie Changyuan looked up, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
“Cooperate with the Taizifei,” Emperor Hui added before continuing on his way.
Xie Changyuan accepted the order.
The Emperor wanted him to assist the Taizifei in her tasks.
———-
As the guests gradually left the banquet, the Taizi did not make an appearance, leaving Wang Jingyan somewhat disappointed.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one disappointed. Many noble young ladies had come specifically for the Taizi and the two royal princes.
In the Qingxiao Pavilion, Qin Yan sat at her place. Outside, there were sounds of commotion.
A group of young men and women was brought to the entrance of the Qingxiao Pavilion by Xie Changyuan, the Commander of the Northern Yamen. They were escorted by the guard and forced to kneel.
“Why am I being arrested…”
“Why are you arresting me? What have I done wrong…”
Seeing this scene, Feng Yunchao and Wang’s sisters, who had initially planned to leave, returned to their seats.
The parents of these young men and women also arrived, but they, along with other onlookers, were blocked by the guards outside the Qingxiao Pavilion.
No one knew what was going on, and no one dared to intervene or plead for the young men and women, not even their own families.
Qin Yan slowly rose from her seat and walked up to the kneeling group. Her voice was cold as she spoke, “My people saw that you pushed the ice sculpture, causing the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion and the daughter of the Minister of Works to fall into the water. Do you take lives so lightly?”
Upon hearing this, the young men and women all denied the accusations, claiming they were wronged.
“No…”
“I didn’t do it. It’s unjust, Taizifei.”
“It’s a mistake…”
Qin Yan turned her gaze to Xie Changyuan, “Commander Xie, according to the palace rules, how should this be handled?”
Xie Changyuan, initially stunned by Qin Yan’s question, quickly regained his composure.
But palace rules?
For a moment, Xie Changyuan was at a loss. The palace had rules, but they were often just for show. The true rule was to satisfy the ruler, and the rules adapted accordingly.
However, since the Emperor had given the order, Xie Changyuan was well-versed in handling such matters. He decided to apply the same method they had used on others to these offenders.
Xie Changyuan immediately ordered the guards to take the young men and women to the ice lake, specifically to the northwestern corner where Qin Lin had fallen earlier. Holding them by the collars of their clothes, the guards threw them into the icy water, then pulled them out, and threw them back in again, repeating the process.
At once, the air was filled with chilling screams.
Everyone gasped, shivering from the cold.
As night approached and the temperature dropped even further, the ice lake was freezing. The young men and women subjected to this treatment were at risk of losing their lives.
Their parents, kneeling outside the Qingxiao Pavilion, begged repeatedly, “Please, Taizifei, spare my child! Please, forgive them!”
Xie Changyuan approached the entrance of the Qingxiao Pavilion and said coldly, “Today, if the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion and the daughter of Minister Qin had not emerged safely from the water, it would not have been so simple.”
The parents fell silent instantly, realizing that their children were indeed in serious trouble. They were grateful that their family were not implicated further.
Qin Yan stood up and walked away decisively.
The crowd also began to disperse, whispering among themselves, “Taizifei didn’t conduct an interrogation before making a decision, and the Emperor even had Commander Xie personally back her up. Taizifei truly holds great power.”
“Is Taizifei using this to establish authority?”
“Whether she’s establishing authority or not, one thing is clear: she is not to be crossed.”
……
“Hey, speaking of which, isn’t Commander Xie the former fiancé of the Taizifei…”
“Shut up. If you keep talking about this, you might find yourself summoned by the Taizi Mansion.”
“Exactly…”
“Still, it’s a bit of a shame, isn’t it? Once, they were the most envied couple, but now, Shizi Xie has become a widower, while Princess Zhaoren has married into the imperial family and is now the Taizifei. It’s quite a sad turn of events.”
“Indeed…”
And these words were overheard by Xie Changyuan, who was standing behind a clump of banana leaves, lost in thought.
Xie Changyuan smiled bitterly, reflecting on how sad the situation truly was.
———-
The sedan carrying Qin Yan was outside the Taiye Pool. She still had a garden to walk through.
Shen Ying held an umbrella over Qin Yan as they walked through the winter garden under the encroaching nightfall, with guards following behind.
Shen Ying spoke up, “Master, Miss Xi and Miss Lin have already left the Xi Garden. I’ve sent someone to escort them.”
“Hmm.” Qin Yan nodded, but as she was about to step onto the next flight of stairs, her footsteps paused.
At the end of the path, by a cluster of purple bamboo, stood a figure draped in a dark cloak.
Shen Ying was about to greet them, but before she could say “Your Highness Taizi,” the figure turned to face them.
Shen Ying’s eyes widened in surprise as it wasn’t the Taizi.
Ning Wang, Feng Sui, was only a few years apart from Taizi Feng Zhan, and they were similar in stature and appearance.
However, Ning Wang was somewhat leaner. Today, wrapped in a dark cloak, he obscured the differences in stature from the Taizi, making Qin Yan nearly mistake him in the dim light.
Ning Wang turned, and he and Qin Yan exchanged glances, one standing on the stairs and the other below, without saying a word.
At that moment, a loud female voice suddenly came from not far away.
“Your Highness Taizi… ah…”