The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Extra 5 Causing Trouble
The Great Xia.
Last year, His Majesty ordered the Ministries of War, Rites, and Revenue to draft a plan for awarding military merit and rewards to the soldiers who fought against the Western Rong and Turkic tribes, as well as in Pingnan borders and Yizhou.
Now that the country has stabilized, there will be fewer opportunities in the future for military personnel to gain promotions and rewards through their military achievements. Therefore, in accordance with His Majesty’s wishes, the principle for this reward was that those who deserve to be rewarded should be rewarded.
It was not difficult to create the list of rewards based on merit, but due to a series of recent large-scale battles, the national treasury was empty. The officials in the Ministries of Revenue and War are all in a frantic state over the lack of money.
To address this, a decree was issued from the palace. The Emperor and Empress would withdraw silver and grain from their personal stores to lend to the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministries of Revenue and War were also ordered to ensure that the rewards were distributed in full to every soldier.
The messenger also added: His Majesty mandated that if anyone embezzles food or pay, they will be executed!
After being momentarily shaken by His Majesty’s strong and decisive words, the Ministries of War and Revenue let out a collective sigh of relief.
Fortunately, both the Emperor and the Empress were wealthy and influential, which made their tasks much easier.
As for embezzlement, who would dare to steal from the Emperor and Empress, whose power and wealth are unmatched? There are probably very few people in the world with such courage.
————
Jin Wang, Feng Xian, had blocked Liang Wang’s attempt to defy the imperial order and march to the capital for two full days, at the cost of nearly depleting all the military forces of his fief, Yuzhou. This delay provided valuable time for the defense of the capital and allowed His Majesty to return to the capital. For his efforts, Jin Wang was awarded merit.
However, Jin Wang, already elevated to the status of a prince with the wealthy land of Yuzhou as his fief, could not have his rank raised any further, nor could his territory be expanded. Therefore, His Majesty merely issued a decree to commend him and granted him some money and grain as a reward.
Jin Wang had no objections to this, and in fact, he somewhat regretted his actions in his youth, when he foolishly attempted to oppose His Majesty and even sought to challenge His Majesty’s position as the heir to the throne.
Among those who were similarly awarded silver and other rewards but did not receive an increase in rank were two other individuals. One was the Commander-in-Chief of the Pingxi Army, Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan, who led the western expedition, and the other was the Marquis of Yongding, Xie An, who led the northern army against the Turks.
Now, Jin Wang was content with his current position. He was satisfied with his life as a prince in Yuzhou, free from the pressure of further ambition.
Also receiving rewards of gold, silver and wealth but not an elevation in rank were two others.
Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan, was already a Duke, and thus could not be raised further. However, the fact that the Marquis of Yongding, Xie An, who had achieved significant military merit, was not promoted in rank was somewhat intriguing.
But Xie An was self-aware. Due to the incident involving Anyang, the imperial family had already developed a certain degree of mistrust toward him. It was great fortune that both the late Emperor and the current His Majesty had not removed him from his post as the commander of the northern army due to personal grievances. Given this, Xie An knew better than to expect any further promotions.
Moreover, in the battle against the Turks in the northern frontier, the true credit should go to His Majesty and the Empress, who personally led the troops deep into the heart of the Turkic. Xie An’s role had been more of a supporting one, and he felt no need to claim any glory for himself.
Xie An, having married into the imperial family through the princess of Anyang, was esteemed as a royal in his own right. However, the death of Anyang had halted his career.
Even though the imperial family had originally married the princess to him as a political move to secure his loyalty and to form an alliance with a capable general like Xie An, it had always been a transaction.
There are causes and effects, and Xie An fully accepted the consequences of his choices. Now, trapped in an awkward position with the imperial family, he acknowledged the reality of his situation.
In his lifetime, the Marquis of Yongding could be content knowing that he would live out his years peacefully in his position, as it could be considered a reward from the imperial family.
———–
The only person who was promoted in rank during this round of rewards was the Count of Pingnan.
The Count of Pingnan’s troops in Lingnan had been significantly weakened when a portion of them, led by Gu Junyan, was sent to Yizhou. When they crossed the river city at Tangguan, they suffered heavy losses in a direct confrontation with the Yizhou army.
When the southern army pressed into the southern borders of the Great Xia, Liang Wang betrayed his oath, leading his army away from Jingzhou to attack the capital. The Count of Pingnan, with a limited number of troops, faced the southern army head-on. Despite struggling to resist, he managed to slow down the southern army’s advance and prevent a large-scale invasion of the Great Xia. Naturally, his forces sustained significant casualties, but he was recognized for his merit.
As a result, the Count of Pingnan was elevated to the rank of First-Rank Military Marquis and granted the title Marquis of Pingnan.
Additionally, the Shizi of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, Shen Shiyan, was granted the rank of Second- Rank Dragon and Tiger General.
Shen Ci from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, the Shizi of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Changyuan, and the Commander of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army, Lu Chen, were respectively awarded Second-Rank General of Zhenguo, Second-Rank General if Dingguo, and Second-Rank General Fengguo.
The Shizi of the Marquis of Pingnan Mansion, Gu Junyan, General of Mingwei, Xie Zhao, and the commander of the Chifeng Army, Duan Hong, were each granted the title of Third-Class General of Zhaoyong, Third-Class General of Zhaoyi, and Third-Class General of Zhaowu.
While the other soldiers celebrated and joyfully accepted their rewards, the household of the Marquis of Guannei was filled with sorrow.
After leading his troops to reinforce the southern borders, Marquis of Guannei, Han Shiyan, initially struggled against the tactics and deceptions of the southern army. He repeatedly fell victim to their strategies, even suffering an ambush himself when he was forced to retreat. During this retreat, he was poisoned by a lethal toxin from the southern assassins, a scheme from which he barely survived.
Under the care of military doctors, the Marquis of Guannei dragged his life with poisonous injuries until the end of the war. However, the poison had already severely affected his heart, and he ultimately could not survive the winter, passing away regretfully.
The Emperor and Empress sent court officials to the Marquis of Guannei Mansion in Xuzhou to offer condolences and present heavy gifts as a sign of mourning.
Despite this, the Marquis of Guannei Mansion had not participated in Liang Wang’s attempt to force His Majesty out of the capital, and Han Shuangling had even led troops to aid in the defense of the capital. Afterward, when the Marquis of Guannei, Han Shiyan, was ordered to the southern border to assist the Marquis of Pingnan in resisting the enemy, he contributed greatly.
Now that the Marquis of Guannei had passed, the rewards for his household would include financial compensation, as usual, and posthumously, the Marquis would be granted the title of Duke.
However, Empress Qin Yan had other thoughts regarding this matter.
After Han Shiyan’s funeral arrangements were completed, Han Shuangling was summoned to the capital, and she was expected to have arrived in these recent days.
———–
Following the safe birth of the imperial heir, His Majesty ordered that the Ganqing Palace and Kunning Palace be renovated according to the imperial couple’s usual habits. Additionally, His Majesty had a sandalwood desk placed opposite the imperial study’s writing desk, much like the arrangement in the original Taizi’s Chenghua Hall and Empress Qin Yan’s Fengyu Palace study.
Emperor Feng Zhan and Empress Qin Yan had a habit of handling state affairs together in the same room, with their desks positioned so that they could look at each other. How could that not be endearing?
However, when emotions ran high, it was debatable just how efficient their work might be.
After the Empress’s confinement period ended, she would spend about an hour or so daily in the imperial study. Besides handling her own personal matters, she would also discuss state affairs with Emperor Feng Zhan.
On this day, both Qin Yan and Feng Zhan were seated at their respective desks, reviewing memorials. Just then, Song Zhi entered and bowed respectfully, “Your Majesty, Empress.”
“Dowager Concubines Jing of Yonghe Palace has passed away.”
Both Emperor Feng Zhan and Empress Qin Yan looked up at Song Zhi. After a brief moment of silence, Feng Zhan spoke, “Order the Ministry of Rites to draft the funeral arrangements for the Dowager Concubine according to the regulations. Song Zhi, convey my words to the Empress Dowager. Thank her for her hard work.”
The management of the imperial harem still rested with the Dowager Empress, who had been idle for much of her life. Feng Zhan was determined not to let the mundane affairs of the harem take up too much of Qin Yan’s time.
Recently, Feng Zhan had been increasingly agreeing with Qin Yan’s previous suggestion: they needed to raise the Crown Prince quickly. The two of them also deserved a break.
The Crown Prince, Feng Qi, was only a month old…
Feng Zhan had long wished to take Qin Yan to the western outskirts of the city to ride horses at the hunting grounds, just as they had done when they first rode together through the woods there.
With spring approaching and the weather warming, it seemed like the perfect time…
———
After Song Zhi left, Qin Yan picked up a memorial from her desk and walked over to Feng Zhan’s side.
Stopping beside his dragon throne, she unfolded the memorial and placed it in front of him, speaking softly, “Take a look.”
Feng Zhan’s gaze shifted from Qin Yan’s face to the opened memorial. He swallowed, clearing his throat to dismiss any distracting thoughts, before beginning to read it quickly.
Qin Yan, noticing a suspicious redness creeping up behind his ears, narrowed her eyes slightly.
What was this man thinking just now?
After a moment, Feng Zhan raised his gaze to look at Qin Yan. He gently pulled her into his embrace, guiding her to sit on his firm thigh. His voice, low and rich, spoke softly, “Tell me, what do you want to do?”
After adjusting herself comfortably in his arms, Qin Yan slowly began to speak, “A woman is a daughter, a wife, and also a mother.”
“If there were no mothers, none of us would exist.”
“Nowadays, even though women in Great Xia can enter government offices or engage in business, whether in government or in commerce, there are still many prejudices, discrimination, and even disdain towards women.”
“There are still many female infants abandoned, exchanged, or even not allowed to survive.”
“Men and women are born different, and we cannot eliminate the deeply ingrained bias that ‘men are more valuable than women’ in the common people.”
“What we can do is to raise the status and rights of women in the law, in order to reduce the inequalities between men and women.”
“If women in Great Xia could participate in imperial examinations, join the military, inherit family property, and even titles, just like men, it would gradually shift the common people’s perception of women’s roles.”
“And among women, there are talents as well. If we limit the opportunities for capable women to showcase their talents due to prejudice, it would be a loss for Great Xia.”
“Therefore, I propose that Han Shuangling of the Marquis of Guannei Mansion inherit her father’s title and become the next Marquis of Guannei.”
“Let her be the first to break this barrier.”
Once Qin Yan finished speaking, Feng Zhan handed her the teacup beside him.
Qin Yan took a small sip of the tea and then heard the deep sound of Feng Zhan’s voice ringing in her ear, “Your suggestion is good. Have the court, Hanlin Academy, and the Ministry of Justice discuss the relevant details.”
Feng Zhan’s reaction still surprised Qin Yan.
As a member of the imperial family, he didn’t show any rejection of her proposal.
This Emperor, one could say, was extremely tolerant, and that was indeed a great blessing for Great Xia.
As Feng Zhan took the memorial that Qin Yan had personally written and began to examine it again, Qin Yan continued, “My proposal to have Han Shuangling inherit the title of Marquis of Guannei comes with another consideration.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhan raised his eyes to look at her.
Qin Yan went on, “The Marquis of Guannei died from poison after being assassinated by Southern Xinjiang assassins. Han Shuangling has a fiery temperament, and she will not let go of a grudge. It’s possible she may take matters into her own hands and act against Southern Xinjiang forces.”
“Moreover, Han Shuangling is part of the Great Xia noble family and has been granted the title of General Zhongwu. She holds an official position, and if she truly has conflicts with Southern Xinjiang, Great Xia will have to step in to resolve the issue.”
“At this moment, Great Xia desperately needs to rest and recuperate. It is not wise to provoke any further conflicts with Southern Xinjiang. Han Shuangling’s personal vendetta cannot be pursued at this time.”
“Therefore, I have another idea. After Han Shuangling inherits the title, we could transfer the Marquis of Guannei’s faction to the Shuobei.”
“The Shuobei is in urgent need of talented people, and the Marquis of Guannei’s faction must be kept away from Southern Xinjiang. By having Han Shuangling inherit the title, we can also quell any dissatisfaction within the Marquis of Guannei Mansion, which can be said to be a win-win situation.”
Feng Zhan’s deep gaze fixed on Qin Yan’s face, his voice low and steady, “Is your suggestion related to the message brought to the capital today by the Marquis of Pingnan’s messenger?”
Qin Yan seemed a little tired from the conversation. She half-closed her eyes and rested her head on Feng Zhan’s broad shoulder without answering.
At this point, some matters were unspoken between the two of them, just understood without words.
Feng Zhan gently squeezed Qin Yan’s delicate hand, his voice quiet, “The message from the Marquis of Pingnan mentioned that Liang Wang’s forces are in the Southern Xinjiang royal family. Given the way Liang Wang’s actions to enter the capital aligned so perfectly with the Southern Xinjiang army’s movements, it’s easy to imagine that Liang Wang Feng Yi and the Princess Xinyue of Southern Xinjiang have already struck a deal.”
“The message from the Marquis of Pingnan should be credible.”
“And your suggestion to transfer the Marquis of Guannei’s faction to the Shuobei, away from Southern Xinjiang, is to prevent any further connections between Liang Wang and his uncle’s faction. It would eliminate any future troubles.”
“But is it really that simple?”
Qin Yan did not answer Feng Zhan’s question right away. Instead, she suddenly thought of another piece of information from the message brought by the Marquis of Pingnan.
Slowly opening her eyes, a hint of a smile appeared in her phoenix eyes, and she lazily spoke, “Princess Xinyue of Southern Xinjiang also has some means. After the defeat of the Southern Border in Great Xia, with their territory shrinking by nearly half, even so, she was still able to ascend the throne as an empress. She’s truly a remarkable woman.”
Feng Zhan swallowed, feeling his beloved woman nestled in his arms, his mind too distracted to discuss others.
Just as he was about to take action, Qin Yan’s lazy voice rang out again, slowly and smoothly, “The Marquis of Pingnan said that Liang Wang Feng Yi seems to have become one of Princess Xinyue’s male consorts.”
“Heh, looks like this princess, even if she’s living in a secluded corner, is still enjoying a rather comfortable life.”
Qin Yan spoke casually, but when Feng Zhan heard the term “male consort” come from her lips, his face darkened immediately.
He gripped the soft flesh at Qin Yan’s waist, staring at her with a fierce intensity, his voice laced with anger, “Male consort? Comfortable life? Hmm?”
Qin Yan finally realized that her words had upset him. Just as she turned her head to face him, Feng Zhan pulled her closer and kissed her deeply.
In the imperial study, the air grew heated, and soon, faint sounds of intimacy began to fill the space.
————
Shortly after the Crown Prince and Princess Anping’s full moon banquet, another piece of good news spread through the palace.
The Empress Dowager issued an edict granting the marriage of Princess Changle to General Lu Chen, a trusted aide of the Emperor.
Princess Changle, Feng Yunchao, was the Emperor’s sister and the Empress Dowager’s daughter, so the marriage to General Lu, a trusted ally, came as no surprise.
Now, the question remained: who would marry the other quiet and elegant princess, Princess Jingyi?
On the day of the banquet to celebrate Princess Changle’s marriage, Xie Changyuan left his mansion on the western outskirts of the capital, changing into ceremonial attire.
Since moving out of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, he rarely returned there. He still resided in the mansion on the western outskirts of the capital, which was near Fengyu Palace, the residence that the Empress, Qin Yan, had once occupied. Now, it was also the General Dingguo Mansion.
As soon as Xie Changyuan’s carriage entered the city gates, it was blocked by people from the Marquis of Yongding Marquis Mansion.
A servant outside the carriage greeted Xie Changyuan with a bow, “Shizi, the Marquis requests that you return to the mansion first.”
Xie Changyuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed inside the carriage, did not open his eyes. Instead, he coldly spoke, “Get lost.”
The servant hesitated, feeling a bit awkward, but remembering the Marquis’s instructions, he quickly spoke again with urgency, “Shizi, the Marquis said this matter concerns Yizhou.”
At the mention of Yizhou, Xie Changyuan opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in his gaze.
Yizhou?
What game was Xie An playing now?
In the end, Xie Changyuan still headed to the Yongding Marquis’s estate.
Now, he would see what Xie An was up to.
————
At the Yongding Marquis’s residence, Xie Changyuan stood, looking at the infant peacefully sleeping in the cradle, his emotions complex.
Xie An dismissed the servants and instructed them to close the door.
Inside the room, Xie An turned to Xie Changyuan and said, “This is A Yan’s daughter. I had her brought from the Yizhou Wang Mansion. She had been raised at a villa outside, but I still didn’t feel at ease, so I brought her back to the mansion.”
Xie Changyuan coldly looked at Xie An, not saying anything, but his expression was filled with disdain.
The intensity of Xie Changyuan’s gaze made Xie An uncomfortable. He avoided meeting Xie Changyuan’s eyes and instead looked at the sleeping infant with a soft expression.
“After all, she is of the Xie family’s bloodline…”
Xie Changyuan interrupted Xie An’s words coldly, “Xie family’s bloodline? Yours?”
“You…” Xie An glared at Xie Changyuan, but in the end, he didn’t continue arguing.
Xie An turned his attention back to the child and spoke, “I will recognize her as my adopted daughter, and she will become a young lady of the Marquis’s family. You…”
Before Xie An could finish, Xie Changyuan interrupted again.
“Adopted daughter?” Xie Changyuan, unable to contain his anger any longer, spoke out against Xie An’s shameless words.
Xie An was incensed by Xie Changyuan’s attitude. If it weren’t for his concern that no one would care for this child after his eventual passing, Xie An never would have reluctantly revealed this matter to Xie Changyuan.
Looking at Xie Changyuan, Xie An softened his tone and spoke again, “Changyuan, no matter… no matter if this child is yours or mine, she is ultimately of the Xie family bloodline. She cannot be left to wander outside.”
Xie An said, his voice softening slightly, “If I don’t recognize her as my adopted daughter, then what will you do with her…”
Xie An’s words were abruptly cut off by a heavy punch from Xie Changyuan, who struck him with force, sending him crashing to the ground.
After knocking Xie An down, Xie Changyuan turned and stormed out of the room without looking back.
This was the first time Xie An had openly acknowledged his affair with A Yan. Xie Changyuan couldn’t bear to stay in this place for another moment.
The noise from the confrontation had startled the infant in the cradle, and the baby began to cry loudly.
Xie An, still on the ground, pushed himself up and rushed to tend to the child, completely ignoring Xie Changyuan’s departure.
Hearing the baby’s cries behind him, Xie Changyuan’s steps faltered for a brief moment at the gate of the mansion. But in the end, he didn’t turn back.
Outside the Marquis of Yongding Marquis Mansion, Xie Changyuan paused for a moment, gazing at the gate once more. He took a deep breath before turning and getting into the carriage.
Once back inside the carriage, Xie Changyuan closed his eyes again, his chest rising and falling with anger.
He silently swore that he would never set foot in this mansion again.
Perhaps, like Xie Zhao, cutting all ties with the Xie family completely was the best choice…
———-
Meanwhile, another delay occurred for the womenfolk of the Ministry of Works, the Qin family, who were also preparing to enter the palace.
That morning, an unexpected guest arrived at the Qin Mansion. Due to the guest’s special status, the person quickly revealed their intention at the gates. Afterward, they were granted entry into the mansion by the head of the household, Madam Zhu.
In the main hall of the Qin Mansion, Madam Zhu sat at the main chair, while the two sisters, Qin Xi and Qin Lin, sat in large chairs in a side chamber separated from the main hall by a screen.
The voice of a delicate woman, who had just arrived, Liu Fufeng, could be heard from the hall. She spoke with a tearful tone, her voice low and pleading, “My parents passed away early, and I’ve been left alone, sickly and frail. I can only rely on my aunt and cousin, relying on their mercy.”
“I don’t wish to speak of matters of seniority or order, but as the betrothal to my cousin, it has never existed. I dare ask that Miss Lin kindly allow me to enter the mansion as a concubine. It would save my life. Without this, I do not know how I can survive in this world.”
The woman paused, then began to wipe away her tears with a handkerchief, her face as sorrowful as a weeping willow.
Both Madam Zhu in the main hall and the two sisters in the side chamber frowned deeply, their expressions full of unease.
How could they have imagined that Qin Lin’s betrothed had such a past, a cousin who had been arranged betrothal from a young age! And this woman had even been brought all the way from Xuzhou to the capital and had the audacity to beg the Qin Mansion!
Qin Lin’s betrothed was supposed to marry into the Qin family, but now this woman claimed she wanted to enter the mansion as a concubine! What kind of nonsense was this?
Fortunately, the Minister of Works, Qin Wenxuan, had already entered the palace. Otherwise, with his temper, he would have immediately canceled the marriage!
Madam Zhu’s face darkened, and she dismissed the woman, saying that the situation was not yet clear and that they would consult the matchmaker to find out the truth and give her a proper response.
The woman stood, curtsied respectfully to Madam Zhu, and left the mansion. She stepped into the sedan chair that had brought her, swaying as it carried her away from the Qin Mansion.
The Qin family members were caught completely off guard by this incident, their hearts filled with shock and anger. If what the woman said were true, Qin Lin’s betrothed would never set foot in their mansion again.
Madam Zhu ordered someone to follow the woman and see where she was headed, to investigate whether she had any connection to the future betrothed.
———–
However, in the light silk sedan chair, the woman who had appeared so delicate and weak at the Qin Mansion, once the curtain was drawn after she entered, immediately sprawled out in an ungraceful manner, breathing deeply and relaxing her body.
At that moment, the woman looked completely different from the fragile image she had portrayed at the Qin Mansion.
After resting for a moment, she extended both hands and vigorously rubbed her stiff, sore cheeks.
In her heart, the woman praised herself, thinking how lucky she was to have worked as a laborer in an opera troupe for a few days. Playing the role of a delicate little white lotus was effortless for her.
This woman’s name was Chai Jun. She was indeed Qin Lin’s betrothed cousin, and she had once been betrothed to him. However, their engagement had been called off many years ago, and Chai Jun had not kept in touch with her aunt, so there was no truth to her claim of relying on them for support.
Chai Jun had ended her engagement with her cousin because of her wild nature. After losing her parents, she had focused solely on making a living, constantly traveling and earning money. She had long believed that she and her cousin were incompatible.
Now, her trip to the capital to ask her aunt for shelter was nothing more than a business transaction.
This was a big business deal!
After a while, Chai Jun slumped further into her seat, muttering to herself, “Will ruining someone’s marriage result in a lightning strike from heaven…?”
“Ugh, nonsense. What am I talking about? Isn’t this just helping another marriage down the road?”
Chai Jun silently thought to herself, “If my cousin and that Miss Qin have a bond as strong as gold, then I’ll just consider it a test for them. If not, then it’s just a way for them to free each other sooner.”
Sigh, if Miss Qin really does break off the engagement with my cousin, I better run away quickly, or my cousin will definitely come after me.
I hope that young master keeps his word. The sum of money he promised is quite a lot. Even when I only saw the deposit, my eyes lit up. That’s why I agreed to come all the way to the capital from Xuzhou.
Chai Jun closed her eyes with a satisfied expression, imagining what she would do with that large sum of money. She could open her own restaurant.
Perhaps, she could become a woman like Seventh Madam Ji.
Ah, Seventh Madam Ji from Xuzhou… That woman had become the object of admiration and desire for all the women in Xuzhou.
A restaurant, my own restaurant…