At a small noodle stall near the Zhongxi Ward in the capital, two cattle dealers came out for lunch and ordered two bowls of plain noodles. One of them said, "Have you heard about the Xiao family?"
His partner replied, "How long has it been, and you're only finding out now?"
"Breaking news! They're really going to arrest someone!"
Upon hearing this, a diner nearby scoffed, "That's the Prince of Jin's maternal uncle's family. How could that be? Since ancient times, officials have always protected each other. Who would go to such lengths to harm their own relatives for the sake of a few commoners?"
"That's right, that's right," said diners at another table.
"Hey," said the cattle dealer who started the conversation, "Let them protect it, what can we do to them? If you ask me, Prince Jin isn't bad either. Ten years ago, who would dare to do this business of trading large livestock? They simply couldn't sell them."
His companion said, "That's right. Twenty years ago, when the late emperor had just ascended the throne, people were so poor they were resorting to cannibalism. Who could have imagined we'd be living like this now? I'm content to be able to sit peacefully on the street eating fine grains and white flour."
"That's right. All we ordinary people want is peace and stability."
A young man dressed as a Confucian scholar, who was quite a distance away, heard this and couldn't help but snort coldly, clearly showing utter disdain for these ignorant people who only cared about sweeping the snow from their own doorsteps.
They think it's none of their business since it's not the powerful and wealthy who are oppressed today. Little do they know that fortunes change, and who knows when it might be their turn? When that happens, no one will stand up for them.
"The Xiao family mansion has been raided!" A voice, seemingly from nowhere, pierced the scholar's ears like a thunderclap, making him tremble. He followed the crowd towards the main street of the western ward and, sure enough, saw the usually arrogant young master of the Xiao family and their servants strung together like pigs, being urged forward by the yamen runners. Some, with a shred of dignity, lifted the hem of their robes to cover their faces, revealing their underwear, which drew laughter from the onlookers.
As if struck by a sudden thought, he quickly squeezed through the crowd of onlookers and headed towards the notice board in the west ward. The notice board was where the imperial court announced important decrees; whenever a major event occurred, a minor official would post a notice. For example, last year, when the imperial examination schedule was changed, a notice was posted on various notice boards throughout the capital.
There was also a large crowd gathered there, very crowded. He stood in the back row and heard a kind person in the front row loudly proclaiming, "The Xiao family's actions are based on conclusive evidence. Those who have case files can apply for a review within three days. Those who do not have case files should find at least three guarantors and three witnesses to register for further investigation..."
"My family heirloom! Heaven has opened its eyes!" an old man cried out before fainting. The scholar followed the crowd to take him to the clinic, and when he came out, he still felt a sense of unreality.
Is it true? Has God opened his eyes?
.
"The general public has mostly given positive comments about the Xiao family's property being confiscated, but the prince's reputation..."
Several people were discussing matters in the Daqing Hall. When they got to this point, one of the ministers sighed and shook his head.
Another person said, "If the prince were to listen to Prime Minister Duan and hold a public memorial service for all the fallen soldiers, wouldn't this matter be over?"
Compared to the dead, the living are of course superior. If the Prince of Jin were to highlight his military achievements and the sacrifices he and his soldiers made, no one would bother with his maternal uncle's affairs. However, Meng Chifeng was always quite arrogant and unwilling to think about such things, focusing only on his own duties.
While this cannot be called wrong, the current passive situation is unavoidable.
Duan Tingzhen held the hot tea, remaining calm and composed.
"As for remedies, there are ways." The official who first brought up the matter squinted and pondered, "We can just follow the original approach and let the people know what Prince Jin did at the border and how much he sacrificed for the country and its people. The tide will naturally turn. Just make up a few short stories and have storytellers tell them. In three to five days, I guarantee no one will remember the Xiao family."
"What's the use of you talking a good game if people don't appreciate it? They might turn around and betray you, and then you'll have no one to cry to."
Even when teased by his colleagues, the official remained unperturbed, simply smiling and saying nothing.
That's what they said, but none of those present went looking for trouble. The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; doing nothing, you make no mistakes. Most things in this world are like that.
"Alright everyone," Duan Tingzhen said, "Let's continue—where were we?"
"Speaking of the resettlement of wounded soldiers, the Xiao family has already vomited up some land and is discussing how to use it."
"We can ask the local officials to allocate one or two acres of land to them as a form of rent, and then purchase the crops together at a higher price."
"That's an idea."
The ministers all expressed their approval.
"Prime Minister." Suddenly, a young eunuch approached Duan Tingzhen and said, "Prince Jin has arrived and says he wishes to see you. This servant dares not delay. What do you think of this..."
Duan Tingzhen nodded and looked at everyone, saying, "Let's stop here for today. Lord Zhao's suggestion is excellent. Let's first write a memorial and present it to us, making sure the points are clear, and then we can continue our discussion."
"Yes." Everyone took their leave. Duan Tingzhen followed the little eunuch into a side hall next door and saw Meng Chifeng sitting and drinking tea. He smiled and said, "Is there something important? Why did Your Highness come at this time?"
Meng Chifeng said, "That's right. I've been thinking about this for a while now, and my original idea was indeed biased. Holding a sacrificial ceremony is a good thing for the soldiers. Our Great Chu has been suppressed by the Northern Barbarians for a long time. It's a rare victory, and we should publicize it to reassure the people."
Duan Tingzhen sat down in the chair opposite him, picked up the fresh tea that the eunuch had just poured for him, but did not drink it. He just held it in his hand for a moment and said, "It's probably getting late."
"Therefore, I am thinking that instead of holding a sacrificial ceremony, how about erecting a monument to the martyrs?"
He stared intently at Duan Tingzhen.
Meng Chifeng could have handled this himself; there must be another reason he sought out Duan Tingzhen. He pondered for a moment and smiled, "I, Duan, have no other strengths, except for my decent handwriting. If Your Highness doesn't mind, this inscription..."
Meng Chifeng's purpose in coming here was exactly this, and Duan Tingzhen's understanding surprised and delighted him. He wasn't the type to ask for favors, and he had come somewhat apprehensively, but seeing how smoothly things had gone, he was overjoyed. So he smiled and said, "I thank you on behalf of the soldiers, and I'll leave this matter to Prime Minister Duan."
"Your Highness is too kind," Duan Tingzhen said.
Although their relationship had eased somewhat, it was merely a return from mutual dislike to nodding acquaintances. Now that they had finished talking, Meng Chifeng felt a little uncomfortable.
Duan Tingzhen was a shrewd man; how could he not see through him? He had no interest in idle chatter with this person, so he wisely spoke first to avoid an awkward situation.
"It's getting late, Your Highness. Don't keep the Emperor waiting."
After returning from the campaign, Meng Chifeng had nothing much to do, so he often went in and out of the palace to teach the young emperor martial arts. The young emperor was only five years old and didn't really learn much, so he just ran and jumped around with him, and even complained to Duan Tingzhen about how hard it was. Whenever he thought of the young emperor's pouty face back then, he couldn't help but laugh.
At this point, Meng Chifeng also found it amusing, and the thought of that mischievous little devil softened his expression. He was about to continue the conversation and take his leave when he inadvertently caught sight of a familiar figure walking past the window. He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What's Chang Yongsheng doing here?"
Chang Yongsheng is Jin Bao's apprentice, and Jin Bao is the young emperor's top eunuch. He's most likely here to find Duan Tingzhen, but... what happened to the young emperor?
He immediately tensed up.
Before he could finish speaking, Chang Yongsheng finally found out where Duan Tingzhen was. He ran over tremblingly, knelt down with a thud, and slapped himself across the face. This terrified the two of them.
Chang Yongsheng cried, "This servant, this servant was not watching him for a moment, and the Emperor climbed up the tree. This servant and my master tried to persuade him for a long time, but the Emperor would not come down. Please, Prime Minister Duan and the Prince, go and take a look."
Duan Tingzhen and Meng Chifeng's hearts sank back, but then they suddenly jumped up again. The little emperor was so small; he might fall off if he wasn't careful. They didn't care what to do to Chang Yongsheng and hurried over.
Fortunately, Duan Tingzhen remembered to ask, "Where is His Majesty now?"
"It's...it's on the biggest osmanthus tree in Deyang Palace!"
Meng Chifeng was in a bad mood and looked like he really wanted to kick Chang Yongsheng, but he held back. He just glared at him fiercely, which almost scared Chang Yongsheng into tears.
Although the young emperor was the emperor in name only, he was actually just a five-year-old child. His guardianship was still in the hands of Meng Chifeng and Duan Tingzhen. If anything happened to the emperor, these two would be directly responsible. Even though the young emperor had already come down from the tree, no one would dare to hide anything that might have happened.
Anyway, with this incident, a large number of people are definitely going to be in trouble. This large number of people probably includes the young emperor as well. A casual glance at Meng Chifeng's dark expression sparked this thought among the group.
The Daqing Hall wasn't particularly close to the young emperor's bedchamber, nor was it particularly far. When the group hurried over, the young emperor was still in the tree, looking quite smug. He looked down at the group of palace maids and eunuchs below with pained expressions, and leisurely sat down on the thickest branch, saying, "You all better stay away from me, or you'll scare me and I'll fall. That would be your fault."
He was quite quick-witted at that moment, but when two figures appeared in the distance, he was so frightened that he almost fell.
"Meng Jiaxun! Get down here!" Meng Chifeng didn't even call him the emperor anymore; the chill in his voice sent shivers down one's spine, even in the sweltering heat of May.
Chapter 5
Meng Chifeng was clearly furious. Seeing that nothing serious had happened, Duan Tingzhen stood to the side, hands hanging down, watching quietly, without showing any intention of taking sides.
Seeing his uncle approach, the young emperor shuddered. Although Meng Chifeng usually doted on him, he was still afraid, though he couldn't explain why. He wanted to struggle a little longer, but seeing that his master didn't react, he stubbornly insisted, "I...I won't!"
Meng Chifeng's face darkened, and although his voice wasn't as furious as Duan Cai's, it carried even more intimidation. He repeated himself: "Get down!"
The little emperor pouted, shifted his position, lost his balance, and fell.
"Your Highness!"
"emperor!"
Meng Chifeng rushed forward to act as a human cushion for him. Fortunately, the little emperor was small and not strong enough to climb very high, only about two or three meters. He probably wouldn't be seriously injured if he fell, but for a five-year-old child, it would be quite a shock.
Ignoring his injured shoulder, Meng Chifeng lifted the young emperor up and walked into the palace. Duan Tingzhen, knowing the young emperor was bound to get away with it and unwilling to interfere with his uncle's education of his nephew, didn't follow. He stayed under the tree watching Jin Bao and asked, "What happened?"
Jin Bao didn't offer any explanation, but knelt down with a thud. He replied, "It was this old servant's oversight."
“You are a person in the palace, and you are not under my jurisdiction, but…” Duan Tingzhen’s face was expressionless. He straightened his clothes, which had been disheveled from running, and said, “There are some things I don’t want to see a second time, understand?”
"This old servant understands." Jin Bao felt cold sweat soaking his back in the March weather, and even his bones trembled. He kowtowed deeply.
The faint sound of a child crying could be heard from inside the house. Duan Tingzhen's face darkened, but he did not move, only standing under the tree. As a scion of a noble family, his teachers and elders certainly had expectations for him when he was young. However, when he was influenced by his physical body and became naughty and mischievous, his father would mostly just smile and not be too harsh.
But it was different for the young emperor. Although he and Meng Chifeng intended to teach him to live a more relaxed life, as the ruler of a country, he could not act recklessly.
Duan Tingzhen tucked his hands into his sleeves, estimated the time, listened to the sounds coming from the room, thought for a moment, and finally couldn't bear it. He sighed and slowly walked in.
He knocked on the door, but received no answer. He pushed it open and found it unlocked, so he went inside. He saw Meng Chifeng pull out a ruler from somewhere and said with a stern face, "Do you know you've done wrong?"
The young emperor was so frightened that he dared not cry out loud, and whispered, "I...I know I was wrong."
Meng Chifeng said, "Stretch out your hand."
This time, the little emperor finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears.
Duan Tingzhen rushed forward and grabbed Meng Chifeng's hand, saying, "The child is just a little naughty, why hit him?"
Meng Chifeng watched him silently.
Duan Tingzhen, used to playing the bad guy, found it somewhat novel to be the one saving someone from danger. Meng Chifeng, seeing him suddenly rush up, pick a fruit, and become the good guy, was both amused and exasperated, and his anger dissipated.
He and Duan Tingzhen probably had some tacit understanding. Seeing the child's sincere attitude, he went along with it and said with a stern face, "Will you still be naughty in the future?"
"No," the child said, sobbing.
Duan Tingzhen sighed, "You think it's nothing because you're being naughty, but do you know how many people will suffer if something happens to you? Your master and your uncle won't be spared either."
“If you fall and get injured today, none of the palace servants who serve you will survive.” Meng Chifeng sneered: “Of course they wouldn’t dare to do anything to your uncle, but they would be written into history books and cursed for hundreds of years. But your Jinbao and Cui’er might not be so lucky.”
The young emperor, like his father whom he had never met, was kind and benevolent. Hearing this, they truly regretted their actions. He stood there blankly, saying nothing, which made the two of them feel a pang of sympathy.
Meng Chifeng was worried that he might have hit the child too hard, and he was also concerned that his words might have been too exaggerated and frightened the child. He wanted to comfort him, but he was also worried that his punishment had been in vain and that the child would forget about it as soon as he turned his head.
Most parents have this kind of thought. They don't have so many worries when facing thousands of troops in the court or on the battlefield, but they can't help but think a thousand times when it comes to their children, for fear that they might make a mistake if they are not careful.
Duan Tingzhen said, "Since His Majesty truly knows his mistake, he should genuinely correct it. Anyone can say one thing and mean another without taking it to heart."
The young emperor bit his lip and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Xun'er really knows he was wrong. Xun'er shouldn't have been naughty. He promises he won't do it again in the future."
Meng Chifeng said in a cold voice, "It's good that His Majesty knows." After saying that, he ordered the palace servants to take him away.
Seeing that his two adoptive fathers had no intention of comforting him, the young emperor felt a little aggrieved and kept looking back as he left with the palace servants. Meng Chifeng suddenly regretted his actions and wanted to find a way to back down, but when he looked at Duan Tingzhen, he saw him stumble and almost fall to the ground, so he hurriedly helped him up.
Duan Tingzhen has always been in poor health; he easily gets dizzy if he doesn't eat, and he also has some stomach problems. He felt unwell during the meeting this morning but forced himself to stay awake, and now he couldn't hold back any longer.
There was a soft couch in the room. Meng Chifeng helped him sit down and noticed that his complexion was not good. He couldn't help but ask with concern, "Is Prime Minister Duan unwell?"
"It's nothing," Duan Tingzhen said weakly. "It's nothing serious, I'll just sit and rest for a while."
Meng Chifeng frowned as he looked at him, thought for a moment, and then got up and left. He said to a young eunuch, "Prime Minister Duan is unwell; summon an imperial physician."
Chang Yongsheng was not far outside the door when he heard Meng Chifeng say he was looking for the imperial physician. After a quick thought of various clues in his mind, he roughly understood what was going on. Being a clever man, he quickly instructed a young eunuch to brew a cup of red date tea with a very high sugar content, and then brought it over himself.