The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 54
Although Father had named him Crown Prince, he had also established three feudal princes.
The fief in Zhongzhou was granted to Jing Wang, appointing him Military Governor of Zhongzhou. Not only was his territory larger than Dongzhou, but Fengcheng, Qingzhou, and the surrounding regions bordered Dongzhou closely, effectively sealing him in from the northwest and cutting off any opportunity to expand westward.
To the east and north, the two uncles blocked his way.
To the south lay the imperial palace.
He alone was trapped in the center. How was this plan to pass the throne to him? It was clearly meant to restrain him. And so, he could only rely on his own methods to carve out a path.
He first moved against the fiefdoms in Hexi and Hebei, removing the two uncles who loomed over him. Seeing that Father raised no objection, he had secretly been pleased, thinking this arrangement was a deliberate test of his ability.
Flush with confidence, he then turned his spear toward the neighboring Jing Wang, only to run into obstacles at every turn.
Time and again, Father had openly shielded Jing Wang before the court. Privately, rumors had long circulated that Father was raising a tiger only to invite future trouble, that Great Feng might one day fall into the hands of the adopted son.
He had once dismissed it as absurd. Now, looking at the situation, it seemed entirely possible.
After all, that adopted son was not truly an outsider. He was a blood nephew of the Zhou family.
The journey here had left a thin layer of sweat on his back, whether from the heat or from anger, he could not tell. Only when he reached his mother’s room did he finally let his emotions spill over. He seized a cup of tea and gulped it down in one go. Setting the cup aside, his fury eased slightly, but his expression remained grim, filled with resentment. “Father intends to send me back to my fiefdom in Dongzhou.”
Hearing this shocking news, Empress Yuan’s face changed at once. She rose from her phoenix throne and hurried to the imperial study to plead for mercy. But the Emperor had already made up his mind. Before she could say more than a few words, he had her ushered out.
Seeing there was no room for reversal, she immediately ordered that the Right Chancellor be summoned into the palace to discuss countermeasures.
When the Crown Prince saw the Right Chancellor, irritation flared. He blamed him for the earlier schemes that had all proved useless. “Sure enough, Jing Wang went to Luo’an not long ago. If he wasn’t the one who handed General Xiao’s letter to Father, then who was? No sooner had the letter reached Father’s hands than Yang Zhijing was kneeling outside the imperial study, accusing me of withholding grain. In my own territory, I’ve been undermined. Anyone who didn’t know better would think I have no one at my side.”
When had Jing Wang gone to Luo’an? How had he met with the Liao forces? Not a single report had reached him.
He still remembered how, during the armory incident last time, Yang Zhijing had humiliated him before the entire court.
Coincidentally, Yang Zhijing’s own grandson was under his control, overseeing the grain supplies. So, he had deliberately created an opening, intentionally withholding provisions to accuse him of negligence in supervision. If he could drag members of the Yang family into it as well, all the better. It would at least vent some of his anger.
Who would have thought that the grandson in question would manage to run to Fengcheng to seek grain, and that Yang Zhijing would uncover it, gather the evidence, and deliver it straight to Father?
Not one of his schemes had succeeded. Instead, he had been struck first and caught completely off guard.
Over the years, Chancellor Yuan had used his position to cultivate an extensive network of allies. By all rights, he should have had eyes and ears everywhere. Yet at this crucial moment, he had been of no help at all, and had even allowed a mere feudal prince to force the Crown Prince out of the palace.
When Chancellor Yuan first heard the news that the Crown Prince had been sent back to Dongzhou, he too had been alarmed. But he quickly regained his composure.
The moment the fighting in Luo’an broke out, he had already anticipated that this day might come and had prepared a countermeasure. He simply had not expected the flames to reach the Crown Prince before word from his own arrangements arrived.
He could hear the sarcasm in the Crown Prince’s words. Knowing full well that his nephew had a temperament that responded better to softness than force, Chancellor Yuan quickly bowed in apology. “This was my oversight. Your Highness, please calm your anger.”
At this point, assigning blame was useless.
The Crown Prince pressed on, “How long has it been since they went to Fengcheng? Still no news?”
He was referring to the forged imperial edict Chancellor Yuan had sent to Fengcheng to strip Jing Wang of his fief.
He had always believed in striking first to gain the upper hand. In the end, the victor is always right, regardless of methods. If the man were dead, even if Father sought to assign blame afterward, what could he truly do to him?
At the thought that the Emperor had secretly entrusted the Xie family to Jing Wang, a fresh chill crept through his heart. He ordered coldly, “This time, the Xie family must be uprooted completely. Leave no future trouble.”
Chancellor Yuan nodded. Before he could elaborate, a palace eunuch arrived to summon him on official business. With no time to say more, he spoke quickly. “Your Highness, rest assured. Nothing will go wrong. It may even be for the best that Your Highness returns to Dongzhou for now.”
Once news of Fengcheng spread, Jing Wang would certainly travel to the Eastern Capital to seek an audience with the Emperor.
The Crown Prince saw only himself hemmed in on all sides. What he failed to consider was that the three feudal princes stood at the borders, shielding him. Anyone heading for the Eastern Capital had to pass through Dongzhou.
The moment Jing Wang stepped beyond the bounds of his Zhongzhou fiefdom, it could be construed as harboring treasonous intent. The Crown Prince would then have grounds to execute him.
Still uneasy, Chancellor Yuan summoned Pei Yuanqiu after returning home. “You will personally make a trip to Dongzhou. If you encounter Jing Wang or anyone from the Xie family, kill them on the spot.”
—
With the Crown Prince gone, the Empress could no longer sit still either.
In the past, she would have had nothing to fear.
Like many ministers at court, she had always believed that the Emperor had only one biological son by his side, and that son was the Crown Prince. If the throne were not to be passed to him, then to whom else could it possibly go?
But when the fiefdoms in Hexi were being reduced last time, Kang Wang had suddenly said something, “Does Your Majesty truly have only one son?”
How many children the Emperor had was known throughout the realm.
In his early years, the two sons born to his first wife had both died, one of smallpox, the other on the battlefield. When the Emperor ascended the throne, he had no surviving heirs.
Only after he married her, the Yuan clan, as Empress, was there a dragon son, his only one to this day, the Crown Prince.
Over the years, Consort Yang had conceived twice, but fate had been thin and fortune shallow; both children born were princesses. Though many new consorts had entered the palace, none had borne a son. Every concubine in the harem was under her watchful eye. Aside from the Crown Prince, where could the Emperor possibly have another son?
She went over it again and again, until at last she thought of Jing Wang.
The more she considered it, the more she realized that the Emperor’s relationship with Jing Wang was indeed unusual. From childhood, Jing Wang had been by the Emperor’s side. The Emperor had raised him with his own hands. Though not father and son by blood, they surpassed father and son in closeness.
Once suspicion took root in her heart, peace was impossible. She tested the waters time and again, and with each test, her heart grew colder.
The Emperor truly did protect that adopted son. It was enough to make her wary. Several months ago, she had secretly sent people to Jingzhou to investigate Jing Wang’s birth mother, Madam Zhou.
Her agents learned the following from an elderly woman, “The Zhou parents died early. Though Madam Zhou had three elder brothers, they were away year-round and seldom returned, so no one really looked after her. Madam Zhou met the wrong man and was deceived into giving up her chastity. Only when her belly began to show did the villagers realize what had happened, and they all scolded her for being shameless.”
“At first they only cursed her behind her back, but later, seeing that no one from the Zhou family was around, they grew ever more brazen. Some even threw stones and eggs; others, harboring ill intentions, climbed up onto the walls. Madam Zhou was so frightened that she did not dare step outside her door. Fortunately, the Zhou family’s eldest son rushed back in time. He seized all those who had bullied her and bound them to the tree at the village entrance, leaving them hanging there. From that day on, no one in the village dared utter a word. Only then did Madam Zhou enjoy a stretch of peaceful days. The Zhou family’s eldest son remained by her side, caring for her until she gave birth. After the child turned one year old, only then did he set out again…”
“Didn’t her brothers go after that heartless man?”
The old woman shook her head. “Who knows?” She added, “Most likely she was bullied by some local ruffian in the village. As for ‘meeting the wrong man,’ that’s probably just something she said to preserve her own dignity.”
Whether she had truly met the wrong man or not, once the child was born, he had to have a father.
As long as the biological father of Jing Wang could be found and his identity made public, he would no longer pose a threat to the Crown Prince. The Empress summoned her confidant once more. “Go to Jingzhou and make further inquiries.”
—
That night, after the Emperor finished reviewing the memorials, he remained seated beneath the lamplight, staring at a string of copper coins in his hand, their inscriptions long worn smooth by repeated touch.
Knowing he was thinking again of someone from the past, the eunuch Liu Kun stepped forward to trim the lamp and gently urged, “Your Majesty, take care of your eyes. You should retire early.”
Liu Kun had once been a servant at Zhou Yuan’s side. When Zhou Yuan ascended the throne, he had intended to grant him an official post, but Liu Kun refused outright. Instead, he secretly castrated himself and remained by Zhou Yuan’s side, continuing to serve him.
Thus, Liu Kun was well acquainted with Zhou Yuan’s past, including events from decades ago. Seeing that the Emperor was once again lost in memories evoked by an old keepsake, and having just received fresh news, Liu Kun stepped forward and reported, “Your Majesty, Her Highness sent people to Jingzhou today.”
The Emperor frowned. “What is she doing in Jingzhou?”
Lowering his eyes, Liu Kun continued, “A few months ago, Her Highness’s people found an old woman and were asking about Madam Zhou.”
At this, the Emperor’s gaze darkened. “What is she trying to find out?”
Liu Kun glanced at him. The words felt scorching on his tongue. After a brief hesitation, he gathered his courage and said, “It is said she intends to find Jing Wang’s biological father.”
The Emperor froze. His expression stiffened for a moment, then suddenly hardened with fury. He let out a cold snort. “The reason the Crown Prince has fallen to this state, he has the Yuan clan to thank for it.”
—
It was not until dusk that Xie Shao and his party met up with Jing Wang by the Ling River.
As the two sides converged, Xie Shao and Pei Qing stepped forward together and bowed. “Your Highness.”
Jing Wang raised a hand and helped them both up. “You have all worked hard. There is no need for such formality.” Then his gaze shifted to Xie Shao. After giving him a careful look, he praised him, “For the Third Young Master to make such a decision, this prince is deeply gratified.”
“With elders in my family having betrayed their lord, I am ashamed to face Your Highness. I beg Your Highness’s forgiveness.” As he spoke, Xie Shao moved to lift his robe and kneel.
Jing Wang quickly caught his arm. “They merely lacked resolve and fell prey to traitors’ schemes. It has nothing to do with you, Third Young Master.” He quickly asked, “What is the situation inside the city…”
While the men spoke at the front, Wen Shuse stood quietly at the very back of the group, waiting in silence.
She had met Jing Wang before. Seeing him again today, every gesture and movement carried an air of upright righteousness; no matter how she looked at him, he did not resemble someone plotting rebellion. It only strengthened her belief that the imperial edict must be false.
A person’s face reflects the heart. By comparison, Deputy Commander Xie looked every bit like a rebel.
Then she looked again at the young gentleman standing beside Jing Wang. His figure was straight as a pine, even a little taller than the prince. He leaned slightly forward as he spoke with the prince, and the integrity in his eyes and brows did not lose a bit to the prince’s.
She had no idea what had happened to him lately. He suddenly seemed to have burst into his own radiance. The more she looked, the more handsome he appeared.
Just as she was looking closely, several of them suddenly turned their heads and glanced back.
Jing Wang’s gaze also fell upon her. Wen Shuse froze for a moment, quickly withdrew her eyes, and lowered her gaze in a respectful bow.
When Jing Wang left Fengcheng last time, he had heard that the Wen and Xie families had formed a marriage alliance, but what he had heard was that it was the eldest young master and the eldest young lady. Only later, while on the road, did he learn from a scout coming from Fengcheng that the ones who had actually married were the Wen family’s Second Young Lady and the Xie family’s Third Young Master.
Jing Wang had been momentarily stunned on the spot, feeling regret on behalf of Chancellor Xie and the Second Madam that they had been unable to witness their own son’s wedding banquet.
He had never met Second Young Lady Wen before; today was his first time seeing her. She was a proper and pretty young lady, well matched with Third Young Master Xie. Walking up to her, he greeted her kindly, “Young Lady Wen, the journey must have been tiring.”
Wen Shuse performed another bow. “Your Highness.” Afraid he might think she was in the way and send her back to Fengcheng, she quickly shook her head. “I’m not tired at all.”
Newly married couples naturally found it hard to part from one another. Jing Wang understood and smiled. “Get into the carriage.”
—
The convoy did not linger and immediately set out toward the Eastern Capital.
Wen Shuse boarded one of the carriages in Jing Wang’s convoy, while Xie Shao, Pei Qing, and Jing Wang rode on horseback ahead.
Although Deputy Commander Xie had closed the gates of Fengcheng, this place was still within Zhongzhou, and for the moment it remained safe.
Wen Shuse sat alone inside the carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to steal a glance at the young master riding on horseback ahead.
In all her life, she had never left Fengcheng. The only time she had gone beyond it was a few months ago, when she visited an estate in the countryside, but she had never traveled this far.
As the carriage passed through several villages and small towns along the way, there were very few disaster refugees to be seen.
Some days earlier, when her aunt returned the remaining silver to her, she had said, “This round of the disaster has finally been endured. My cousin asked me to thank Third Young Madam for helping them in their hour of need. She and her husband have gone to Zhongzhou. Though they do not have much ability, they are well liked. If Third Young Madam ever has use for her someday, just say the word.”
Wen Shuse had been surprised. “They didn’t return to Qingzhou?”
“Her husband said that since they had already left, there was no point turning back. Better to keep moving forward. One can settle down anywhere, and it might as well be somewhere closer to the Eastern Capital. So, he led the villagers to Zhongzhou.”
Seeing things now, it seemed that the disaster in Qingzhou had indeed stabilized.
—
That night, the group stopped at a post station to rest. Since the two were husband and wife, they naturally shared a room.
The post station could not compare with one’s own residence. The rooms were packed tightly in a row, and even the sound of coughing from next door could be heard clearly.
Jing Wang’s room was right beside theirs. Afraid that anything improper might be overheard through the wall, the two of them had to speak and even walk with great care.
After bathing quietly, Xie Shao tacitly refrained from competing with her for the bed. He spread a quilt on the floor beside Wen Shuse’s bed, lay down, and went to sleep.
In the past, when he would fight with her over it, Wen Shuse could sleep in the bed with complete confidence. But now that he had voluntarily given up the bed, she suddenly felt a little guilty.
Since she had already decided to live her life with him, the two of them were truly husband and wife; sharing a bed would be perfectly reasonable. She glanced toward the bed, and it was quite wide, easily enough for another person.
So, she turned her head, parted her lips slightly, and softly made a little “tsk” sound toward the young master beside her.
The lamp had already been extinguished. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting the lattice shadows of the window frame. Xie Shao watched the moonlight for a while as sleepiness crept over him. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly heard a faint rustling sound beside his ear, much like a mouse.
Surprised, he opened his eyes and turned his head, only to see the young lady mouthing words at him.
But the moonlight did not fall on her face, and he could not make out what she was saying.
Xie Shao moved his lips in return. “What?”
“Is it cold for you, sleeping on the floor, Husband?”
Xie Shao leaned a little closer, replying with lip movements, “I can’t hear you.”
“I said, are you cold? Do you want to come sleep on the bed?”
Xie Shao: …
Though the young lady was articulating with great effort, all Xie Shao could see was her mouth opening and closing.
Wen Shuse grew a little annoyed. She leaned her head out over the side of the bed, nearly half her body dangling over the edge. Seeing this, the young man on the floor thoughtfully propped himself up as well.
One of them sat up and strained to bring his ear closer, while the other hung over the edge of the bed, trying to bring her mouth nearer. Yet neither could see clearly in the dim light. Both overextended themselves, and the young lady’s lips landed squarely against the young man’s cheek.
A silent thunderous boom seemed to sound in their ears as the two of them froze at the same time.
They stayed like that, stunned, for two or three breaths before the young lady reacted first. She jerked backward abruptly, but her balance faltered, and she tumbled off the bed with a muffled grunt. Clenching her teeth, she pulled herself back up on her own.
Xie Shao was startled and reached out to help her, but his foot struck the small wooden stool beside the bed. The stool wobbled precariously, and seeing the object atop it about to topple, he had to abandon thoughts of steadying himself or aiding the young lady. He grabbed it firmly, then slowly let go.
When he lifted his head again, the young lady had already climbed back onto the bed.
From beginning to end, neither of them spoke a single word. To anyone outside, it was merely the sound of wood knocking and scraping, no one would know of the breathless, heart-pounding scene that had just unfolded.
Silence fell once more. Both lay stiffly on their backs, one on the bed, one on the floor, not moving at all, eyes wide open, both letting out a long breath at the same time.
Whether it was the bed or the floor no longer mattered, Wen Shuse did not dare move again. Pulling the quilt up over herself, she forced her eyes shut.
—
At daybreak the next morning, the group set out again.
Wen Shuse remained seated inside the carriage. The young man riding ahead on horseback finally could not resist; he slowed his horse by a few steps and came alongside her window, asking in a low voice, “What were you trying to tell me last night?”