The Emperor excused the Mo Manor from official duties and had Princess Anping, who was still in mourning, marry the seriously ill King Xuan to bring him blessings. The wedding was on the same day as King Yan’s and King Chu’s, which was in a month. The betrothal gifts have started arriving, but because it was later than King Yan’s and King Chu’s, it was slightly hurried. However, since it was an order from Emperor Zongwen, everything that was supposed to be presented was there.
Since the Empress Dowager was ill, the matters of consort selection continued quietly. It was a very low-key affair. Only a few consorts were brought into the palace. King Yan’s Manor and King Chu’s Manor had a few new concubines, but the consort position remained empty. After all, the two Kings had not yet had their marriages, it was not appropriate for them to take second consorts. As such, they would welcome consorts after they married.
However, no new concubines entered King Xuan’s Manor.
Firstly, King Xuan was ill. Secondly, what King Xuan’s Manor had the most were women.
Bai Yihao stared at the white jade box for a long while in his room. Lin Yu stood at the door, his back straight. However, he could not help but look at Bai Yihao’s handsome side profile. The sun was setting, and the remnants of sunlight shone on Bai Yihao’s face, casting a beautiful shade on his jade-like skin.
His eyes were lowered and his long lashes fluttered as he stared at the opened white jade box in front of him in a daze. He had been sitting like this since lunchtime. There was only a sheet of yellowed paper in the box. It was unclear what was written on it, but Lin Yu knew that his master looked at the paper with a deep and dark gaze that he could not decipher. Bai Yihao’s expression on his handsome face was still as distant as usual.
However, he seemed more and more ethereal.
What exactly was written on the note that made his master look at it so intently?
Lin Yu was very curious.
“Come, take this box to the study.” Bai Yihao stretched out his long slender fingers and shut the white jade box. Then, he tossed it casually to Lin Yu who approached him. There seemed to be a pained look in his handsome eyes that stunned Lin Yu. He took the white jade box blankly and looked at Bai Yihao incredulously.
“What is it? Why aren’t you going?” Bai Yihao’s brows picked up as he spoke to Lin Yu gently and elegantly.
Lin Yu blinked furiously and realized that he had seen wrongly. How could his master, who was elegant like a fairy in heaven have a pained expression that only ordinary people would have? He took the box and walked to the study.
Speaking of the white jade box, his master was really weird. His master always took charge of the box personally and never gave it to anyone else. Why did he toss it to me today so casually? Lin Yu did not understand. Fortunately, he always left the things he could not understand to his master anyway. He had such an intelligent master, he just had to listen to orders.
When Lin Yu came back from the study, Bai Yihao was already sitting in front of the window. His eyes were as clear as water and they were gentle as always. For some reason, Lin Yu relaxed.
“The First Prince will leave after he marries the Fifth Princess. Is everything settled on that side?” Bai Yihao asked gently. He stood up slowly and went up to the window. The setting sun shone from behind him, blurring his handsome face. However, one only felt that he looked extremely handsome, comparable to none as the rays of sunlight shone upon his face.
“Sir, everything is set. Our men will enter immediately after the Fifth Princess and the First Prince leaves after their wedding. What would you like to be done on the Empress’ side?” Lin Yu asked respectfully.
“Send word that Emperor Zongwen has agreed to marry the Fifth Princess to the First Prince and is sending along a bountiful dowry as well as private soldiers only the legal princess of Qin has. This is what the Empress and the First Prince wants. It is a pity that the sword is in someone else’s hand at times. So what if they can dream about it?!” Bai Yihao laughed coldly. He explained. “Have someone guard Father. If there’s anything wrong, report to me immediately.”
The Yan Emperor had always been in poor health. Some of his powerful subjects were already in the First Prince’s pocket without him knowing. With the help of the Yan Empress in the back of the palace, as long as the trouble that was the Fifth Princess, the Yan Empress would definitely be so busy she would find it hard to cope. Then, Bai Yihao was going to watch how the two of them would try to hide the matter in their flustered state.
Bai Yihao was very confident that he could make the Yan Empress and Bai Yichen panic for a while. This was the price Bai Yichen had to pay when he tried his best to marry the Fifth Princess. He had not even gotten any benefits and had already reaped trouble. Bai Yihao wondered if Bai Yichen would regret it!
The Qin Kingdom treated legal princesses differently from the other princesses.
They would maintain a few hundred private soldiers for a legal princess! Or they could also be called secret guards.
Each of these private soldiers was as good as 10 men. They were trained from young and were very loyal to their masters. Even though a hundred of them were not many, they were irreplaceable during crucial moments. Furthermore, these people did not guard the legitimate princesses as guards but hid by their side using various identities.
They would go to their deaths upon the princess’ orders!
They were also known as death guards!
It was extremely difficult to train and select such death guards. They not only had to have good martial arts skills, but they also had to have a clean family background. They should be loyal only to the princess.
Fortunately, there had never been many legitimate princesses in the Qin Kingdom. Emperor Zongwen only had one Empress and they only had the Fifth Princess.
The message that Bai Yihao was sending out was that Emperor Zongwen had married the Fifth Princess to Bai Yichen. This meant that the Emperor supported Bai Yichen. After all, no one would marry their legitimate princess to a loser.
This meant that Emperor Zongwen supported Bai Yichen.
Of course, no one would tell the Yan Empress about how the Fifth Princess had her reputation tarnished after she was found hugging Bai Yichen. This would be an embarrassment to both countries.
If his father fell critically ill again and considering the advantage Bai Yichen had now, the Yan Empress would definitely make a big move. Bai Yihao wondered if she would be able to handle the deep “surprise” that was ahead of her.
“Father can fall ill now.” The corners of his handsome lips lifted slightly as his finger hooked up a white jade hook by the window. While his smile was gentle, one could not sense any warmth from it.
Lin Yu had a feeling that his master was growing more and more godlike! He carefully backed away. With a master who did not know anything and lived like a deity, one had to have a strong mental psyche.
When news of Mo Xuetong’s impending marriage to Feng Yuran reached Qin Yufeng, Qin Yufeng was reading some odd tales.
“Big Brother, Big Brother, Cousin Tong is about to marry that philandering King Xuan.” Qin Yuxuan barged in angrily. His face was covered in sweat as he hurried in. He tugged at Qin Yufeng’s hand. There were many rules since he came to the capital. Qin Yuxuan had only seen Mo Xuetong a few times and it was from a distance. They did not even speak with each other.
Qin Yuxuan found it hard to express himself as a young man. But anyway, he felt angry when he thought of how Cousin Tong, who was a good girl, was going to marry King Xuan. King Xuan had so many women, Qin Yuxuan doubted if even the man himself knew how many women he had. Furthermore, he had gotten injured because he had gotten drunk.
King Xuan was the most useless and most licentious person!
This was how Qin Yuxuan felt about Feng Yuran! Forget it if he were not interested in improving himself as a royal descendant. When Qin Yuxuan found out that his beloved Cousin Tong was about to suffer in King Xuan’s manor and be bullied by his concubines, Qin Yuxuan felt angry and sad.
“Isn’t Cousin Tong still in mourning? How…” Qin Yufeng paused for a moment and put the book in his hand down. He had a sudden epiphany in the middle of his sentence and his expression grew grave. King Xuan’s life hung on a thread and Mo Xuetong marrying him now would be to bring blessings to him. If it was so, who would care if she was still mourning or not?
Furthermore, the blessing was for Emperor Zongwen’s most beloved son, King Xuan, Feng Yuran.
There was deep darkness in his eyes. He had not considered this possibility.
“Big Brother, Cousin Tong is such a good girl, but she is going to marry King Xuan.” Qin Yuxuan did not realize that something was wrong with his brother as he continued to natter on angrily. He smashed the table forcefully with his hand, looking like he was going to right things for Mo Xuetong.
“What has this to do with you all?” Qin Zheng’s cold harrumph came from the entrance.
The two brothers stood up hurriedly and went to the entrance respectfully.
Qin Zheng entered and looked at his reckless younger son. He said angrily, “How can you talk about a royal marriage like that? And who are you to say whether King Xuan is good or not? If you are free, go and study. Do not go run about outside and listen to rumors and gossip. The Mo Manor did not say anything, who are you to be angry about this?”
“Father, I…” Qin Yuxuan said anxiously.
“Go.” Qin Zheng did not allow him to defend himself and told him to leave. Qin Zheng watched as Qin Yuxuan left reluctantly. Then, he looked up at his eldest son whom he had always been proud of and said, “The exam is in a few months. Study and do not meddle in the affairs out there.”
“Yes, Father!” Qin Yufeng answered with a smile. Then, he hid the book on odd and obscure happenings without even blinking. On the page of the book, there was something the color of blood with a trace of black in it…
Qin Zheng had always been satisfied with his eldest son. Other than what happened the last time, he knew that his eldest son, who had always been careful, would not do something like that. Someone must have framed him. It might be his political enemy. He was a censor and had offended many people. He really could not tell who it might possibly be.
He could only lock his eldest son up at home. Fortunately, the exams were coming and studying at home beats creating trouble out there!
“Study then. Don’t make trouble with your younger brother. No matter how King Xuan is, it is not up for us to discuss it. If anything were to happen to King Xuan, His Majesty would definitely be furious and find out all that has been discussed about him. This is what they call settling accounts after autumn.” Qin Zheng told Qin Yufeng.
If nothing happened to King Xuan, it would be for the best!
If something were to happen to King Xuan, it would not just be the imperial physician who would be implicated. There were many whose necks were linked to the unreliable King Xuan.
There was some headway in the investigation regarding the money going to the disaster relief of Lianghu. It was said that of all the officials in Lianghu, 80 to 90 percent of the officials were involved in it. There were so many people involved. How many belonged to King Chu’s camp? King Chu had been kneeling in the great hall of the palace to seek forgiveness since early morning despite being sick. He had almost been hit in the head by the Emperor’s teacup.
However, King Yan did not fall behind either. He was scolded badly by Emperor Zongwen about another matter and was kneeling in Qianqing Palace.
The two princes were both being rebuked and scolded. The other was not scolded but his life was hanging by a thread. The entire court was in a mess. No one knew which prince to side with. Some, who had fingers in all factions, were all silent now.
In the back of the palace, the Empress was rebuked by the Emperor, Consort Su was promoted, the Empress Dowager had been taken ill… It was as if there were an invisible line leading to the Qin Kingdom’s throne. However, no one could catch the line.
No one knew what the Emperor, who was sitting up in the high throne, was thinking. If he was not satisfied with the three adult princes, should he be looking amongst the younger ones? However, Emperor Zongwen had no other sons other than the three. Was he hoping that one of his consorts would give birth to another son for him?
No one knew what to do in court. No one spoke up for King Yan or King Chu anymore, and no one dared to scold someone from another faction. The two were scolded and told to go home and study. A rare silence and peace overcame the court. Every day, the officials settle necessary matters and did not speak about anything else. Even the inner cabinet became faster at handling matters and things no longer dragged for weeks as before.
The court and the back of the palace seemed calm.
However, this calmness was suddenly broken!
Consort Yu fell pregnant!
