The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 99 Fortunate
Chenghua Hall Study in Taizi Mansion at Xishan
It was already late at night when Feng Zhan finished handling official duties.
After arranging His Highness’s instructions, Song Zhi returned to the hall and asked, “Your Highness, are you heading to the Princess Mansion?”
Feng Zhan slightly raised his eyelids and cast a cold glance at Song Zhi.
Song Zhi…
What was there to say? The princess had already mentioned supporting His Highness as her kept man…
At this moment, a servant’s report was heard outside the hall, “Your Highness, Shizi of Marquis of Mansion requests an audience.”
Feng Zhan’s sword-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his face was as dark as water. Ultimately, he did not speak to dismiss the visitor, “Take him to the water pavilion.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Song Zhi understood well that his master was eager to see the princess and didn’t want to waste a moment, hence arranging for Shizi Xie to be taken to the water pavilion.
His Highness likely planned to visit the Princess Mansion and see Shizi Xie on the way.
If it were any later, the county princess might not leave any room for the prince.
However, Song Zhi was puzzled—what urgent matter could Shizi Xie have at this hour that required an immediate audience with His Highness?
—————
At Cangtai Water Pavilion, Taizi Mansion.
As soon as Xie Changyuan sat down, Taizi Feng Zhan entered with a stern expression.
Xie Changyuan quickly rose and greeted, “Your Highness Taizi.”
Taizi walked directly to the main seat, an armchair, and did not instruct for tea to be served.
It was clear that the Taizi did not intend to stay long.
Xie Changyuan did not beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly.
“Your Highness, I wish to deal with Ye Qingli as soon as possible.”
Feng Zhan’s expression darkened, and his tone became quite frosty.
“Is this the only matter?”
Xie Changyuan immediately sensed Taizi’s displeasure. However, having made up his mind, this matter had to be resolved immediately, leaving no room for regret.
On his way here, Xie Changyuan had wondered if he would once again come to nothing at the Taizi Mansion or if the Taizi would still be at Qin Yan’s.
Fortunately, that was not the case.
Taizi spoke, “Song Zhi.”
“Your Highness.” Song Zhi, who had been waiting outside the pavilion, responded and entered.
Feng Zhan instructed in a deep voice, “Proceed according to the plan.”
After speaking, the Taizi stood up and walked out of the water pavilion with large strides.
————
In the Water Pavilion, Song Zhi asked Xie Changyuan several questions, but Xie Changyuan seemed somewhat distracted.
After seeing the Taizi leave the water pavilion, Xie Changyuan watched as Feng Zhan walked directly toward the southern plum grove. Eventually, the Taizi’s figure disappeared at the end of the southern end of Plum Grove.
Xie Changyuan felt a chill in his heart, overcome with bitterness.
At this hour, was the Taizi going to Qin Yan’s place?
“Shizi Xie, Shizi Xie…” Song Zhi called out several times.
Song Zhi followed Xie Changyuan’s gaze and sighed inwardly.
Shizi Xie, if you had known it would come to this, why did you bother in the first place? But you better not entertain any misguided thoughts.
Seeing Xie Changyuan finally regain his focus, Song Zhi spoke, “Shizi Xie, there have been recent disturbances at the borders. It is not advisable to make enemies with Yizhou at this time, so it is best to handle this matter with compromise. Your cooperation is needed.”
Xie Changyuan calmed down himself and then nodded in agreement.
————
In the early hours of the morning, a group of black-clothed men swiftly infiltrated the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, expertly evading the patrolling guards and heading straight for a spacious courtyard within the estate.
These men were highly skilled and worked in perfect unison, subduing the guards stationed in the courtyard with precise strikes, all without making a sound.
They then inserted a sleep-inducing powder into the main house’s door.
Xie An, who was resting on the outside of the bed, seemed to sense danger in his sleep, showing signs of stirring. However, he quickly succumbed to the effects of the powder and fell back into a deep slumber.
Moments later, the door bolt was disengaged from the outside, and the door was gently pushed open.
Two of the black-clothed men entered the room. Upon seeing the pair of sleeping figures on the bed, their eyes widened briefly, but they quickly masked their surprise.
The black-clothed men then pulled over the blanket, wrapped the woman who was sleeping on the inner side of the bed, and carried her out with one person in front and one behind.
With their prize secured, the group of black-clothed men swiftly retraced their steps, exiting the residence as quickly as they had come.
The door was left ajar, and it wasn’t long before Xie Changyuan, dressed in black brocade robes, entered the room.
Xie Changyuan cast a cold glance at Xie An, who remained on the bed, before moving to the round table opposite the bed. He picked up a blue and white teapot and weighed it in his hand.
Carrying the teapot, Xie Changyuan approached the bed, his expression impassive as he poured the cold tea over Xie An’s face.
Afterwards, Xie Changyuan turned away and walked back to the round table, sitting down facing Xie An.
Xie An suddenly woke up, his eyes wide in shock. He immediately turned to look at the bed and saw it was empty. He quickly got out of bed, and upon seeing Xie Changyuan calmly seated at the round table, his pupils shrank.
Xie An scanned the room rapidly. The door was wide open, and besides himself and Xie Changyuan, there was no one else present. Alarm bells rang in his mind as he realized how he had been caught off guard by Xie Changyuan.
Xie An fixed his gaze on Xie Changyuan, his voice cold and demanding, “Where is Ye Qingli?”
Xie Changyuan looked up at Xie An with a hint of contempt in his tone, “Do you know whose courtyard this is?”
At this moment, Xie An had no time to waste with Xie Changyuan; his mind was solely occupied with the pregnant Ye Qingli.
“Where is she?” Xie An’s voice betrayed a hint of anxiety.
Xie Changyuan’s expression remained unchanged, and he did not speak.
“Someone!” Xie An called out loudly.
But there was no response from outside.
“Xie Changyuan, what do you want to do?” Xie An asked, watching Xie Changyuan warily.
Xie Changyuan sneered, “Don’t worry. If I wanted your life, I would have done it just now.”
Xie An’s body tensed, and he forced himself to remain calm.
Xie Changyuan looked at Xie An and said slowly, “Tomorrow, the Marquis Mansion will hold a mourning ceremony. The wife of Shizi, Ye Qingli, will have died from a serious illness.”
Xie An’s eyes widened in shock, “How dare you? Where is Ye Qingli? What about the child she is carrying?”
Seeing Xie An’s anxious expression, Xie Changyuan mockingly smiled, “Why are you so anxious? Is it your child?”
Xie An was momentarily speechless, but he quickly thought of the consequences of Xie Changyuan’s actions, “How will you explain this to the Emperor of Yizhou? How will you explain it to the Empress Dowager?”
Xie Changyuan replied coldly, “Don’t worry about the Emperor of Yizhou. As for the Empress Dowager, she will probably be too preoccupied with her own matters.”
“What do you mean?” Xie An’s face turned pale.
Xie Changyuan slowly stood up, seemingly unwilling to say more to Xie An, “There are only two hours until dawn. Time is running out. Handle it yourself.”
With that, Xie Changyuan walked out.
Xie An immediately chased after him but was frozen in place by the sight before him.
In the courtyard, his subordinates lay scattered, one to the east and one to the west.
Xie An was filled with dread. The intruders had managed to enter the Marquis Mansion unnoticed, take Ye Qingli away, and in the same situation, they could have easily taken his life.
The matter with Ye Qingli was far-reaching, not merely the work of Xie Changyuan alone.
The only one with the power to control the Emperor of Yizhou and preoccupy the Empress Dowager was the Taizi.
The Taizi’s power should not be underestimated.
But… what about the child in Ye Qingli’s belly…
————-
The “Astronomy: Celestial Phenomena” stated: “Frost Descend and the Dipper signals the end of autumn in fifteen days, thus it is said that with forty-six days, winter begins, and all grass and trees die.”
The next day marked the beginning of winter.
Early in the morning, the entire Marquis of Yongding Mansion was draped in white cloth, and an obituary was issued, announcing that the wife of Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, who had been married to him for just over a month, had suddenly died from a severe illness.
This news quickly spread throughout the capital, leaving everyone astonished and lamenting.
Meanwhile, the Shizi of c, Xie Changyuan, became the most sought-after widower among the noble young ladies in the capital.
Early in the morning in the western market of the capital, an inconspicuous carriage, traveling with a merchant convoy, left the city.
Inside the carriage’s compartment lay a young woman, unconscious, bound with coarse ropes and gagged with a cloth.
The coachman, clad in rough fabric, had calloused hands indicating he was an experienced laborer.
At the same time, in the Taizi Mansion in Xishan, a black-clothed secret guard, riding a fast horse, carried a confidential letter heading towards Yizhou.
————-
The mourning announcement from the Marquis of Yongding Mansion left everyone deeply saddened, but another piece of news shook the entire capital to its core.
This morning, a decree was issued from the imperial city to the Taizi Mansion in Xishan.
The Emperor, whose health was failing, had appointed Taizi Feng Zhan to act as regent.
The court was in turmoil.
A few years ago, Empress Dowager Xiao supported the Taizi in seizing power from the Emperor. Today, the Emperor supported the Taizi against the Empress Dowager.
The tides of fortune had truly turned.
What was once a three-sided power struggle between the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Taizi, now saw the Emperor directly empowering the Taizi, making the situation heavily skewed in favor of the Taizi, leaving the Empress Dowager in a powerless position.
The court officials seemed to have anticipated this turn of events.
Unlike a typical heir to the throne, Taizi Feng Zhan held substantial real power, and could not easily be manipulated.
Originally, the Winter Welcome Ceremony, which was to be led by the Emperor with the three dukes and nine ministers in the northern suburbs of the capital, was now to be conducted by the Taizi on behalf of the Emperor.
According to tradition, winter is associated with the north and the color black, so the ceremony involved offerings to the Black Emperor Xuanming, with all carriages and attire in dark black.
Taizi Feng Zhan, wearing a golden crown and a dark black robe embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons, and draped in a black cloak, personally presided over the ceremony six miles north of the capital.
Following the ceremony, the Taizi granted winter clothing and generous rewards to the officials at the Taizi Mansion and ordered aid for orphans and widows, to stabilize the state.
On that day, the Taizi reassembled the court officials at the Taizi Mansion, issuing a series of decrees.
The first order was the cancellation of the small court established in the Empress Dowager’s Shou’an Palace, which had been granted by the late Emperor.
It was also publicly announced that the Empress Dowager, due to her old age, would now rest in Shou’an Palace and would not meet with visitors from this day forward.
In other words, the Taizi has placed Empress Dowager Xiao under house arrest.
There were dissenting voices in the court, but they were quickly drowned out by the overwhelming tide of support for the Taizi.
The Taizi’s actions left no room for leniency. It was rumored that Empress Dowager Xiao, in her frustration, had smashed valuable antiques in Shou’an Palace, but there was nothing anyone could do about it.
The entire court understood Taizi’s reasons and hoped not to be caught in the crossfire.
Following this, there was a major reshuffle in the court. Taizi undertook sweeping reforms, which included the removal of dissenting officials.
This purging of the court signaled Empress Dowager Xiao’s complete exit from political affairs.
The court knew well that although the Taizi had once benefited from Empress Dowager’s support, her unjust actions had justified the Taizi’s decisive measures. It was only appropriate for the Taizi, as the legitimate heir, to push her into the background.
The personnel changes extended even to the Southern Yamen Imperial Army, where a deputy commander was removed and 20,000 soldiers were reassigned. The swift handling of these changes indicated long-term preparation.
Notably, the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng was implicated in a grain supply scandal, leading to his subordinate, Fourth Master Qin, being sentenced to two years of exile in the southern borderlands.
The Right Prime Minister Qin’s punishment was relatively light—he was fined three years’ salary as a warning. Many court officials speculated that Taizi’s relationship with Princess Zhaoren was influencing his leniency towards the Qin family. However, the Right Prime Minister Qin had grievances of his own.
Little did they know the Qin family’s most pressing issue was their lack of funds. The fine on the Right Prime Minister Qin was essentially adding insult to injury.
While some faced punishment, others were rewarded. The Minister of Works was dismissed for inadequate flood control, while Assistant Minister Qin Wenxuan, who had successfully managed waterworks, was promoted to the current Minister of Works.
Thus, the court saw both joy and sorrow.
The Taizi ordered the private treasury to release grain for disaster relief, mandated the Imperial Court of Judicial Review to rigorously investigate corruption in grain transportation, and directed the Ministry of Works to expedite river management and restore canal transportation. Additionally, he commanded the Ji family in Xuzhou to immediately transport grain from Jiangnan to the capital via sea routes.
On this same day, Yu Qingfeng finally made a concession, donating one million taels of silver to the Ministry of Works for water conservation projects.
Minister of Revenue Du Xian was deeply moved, noting that despite his extensive efforts and those of the Second Prince to raise funds, they had only managed to collect just over a million taels. Yet, Yu Qingfeng alone had made such a substantial donation.
The court understood this was not only due to Yu Qingfeng’s wealth but also because Princess Zhaoren had chosen her stance.
————
Princess Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan.
Qin Yan was just about to fall asleep when she heard Shen Ying’s voice from outside, “Your Highness Taizi.”
Moments later, the corner of the quilt was lifted, and the familiar scent of the man enveloped her as Feng Zhan embraced Qin Yan from behind.
Feng Zhan nuzzled his clean-shaven chin against Qin Yan’s neck and said in a husky voice, “Qin Yan, how fortunate I am.”
Qin Yan felt a tickling sensation and shifted slightly but didn’t respond.
After a moment, the man behind her spoke again, his voice deep and mellow, “The decree to confer you as the Crown Princess will be announced at my birthday celebration.”
“Qin Yan, are you ready?”
Hearing this, Qin Yan turned in Feng Zhan’s embrace to face the handsome man before her.
She placed one hand on Feng Zhan’s solid chest, her fingertips trailing downward. Her full, glossy lips brushed against Feng Zhan’s slightly pursed ones, her voice alluring, “Your Highness, are you ready?”