Третий брак

Глава 17

Thinking of the beauty in his heart, he suddenly became angry again. Wang Fu, what makes you so presumptuous?

He glanced around and noticed that the spot where Wang Fu usually stood was empty, so he asked, "Why isn't Minister Wang here today?"

After a long while, no one in the court answered, and Prince Yun Zhao Kai also frowned, puzzled.

At this moment, Liang Shicheng stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Wang suddenly fell seriously ill last night and is now unable to get out of bed."

Zhao Ji sneered and said, "Is that so? Then I will grant him a three-month leave so that he can rest at home. As for the various affairs under his jurisdiction... Crown Prince, you may send someone to take over as appropriate."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan immediately accepted the order. This was the first time he had ever held such power, and he couldn't help but feel excited.

Having not rested properly all night, Zhao Ji was exhausted. The matters to be decided at the morning court had all been discussed in advance by the Privy Council, and the results were basically in place, waiting only for Zhao Ji's approval.

An official from the Ministry of Rites petitioned, “The envoys from various countries will arrive in the capital in a few days, but the person in charge of receiving them has not yet been selected. We have prepared a list and would like Your Majesty to make your decision.”

Picking up the presented list, Zhao Ji glanced at it hastily. The name of Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, was listed, while the rest were all incompetent and lacked virtue; none of them were fit for the position. It was obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that those names were merely there to serve as a foil for Zhao Kai. In truth, the outcome had already been decided, but…

Emperor Huizong glanced at Zhao Kai and had to admit that this son was truly to his liking. However… Zhao Kai seemed to be quite indulgent towards his subordinates. If he were to further empower him, there would likely be even more people like Wang Fu who disregarded imperial authority.

He put down the roster and said, "None of these people are suitable. Go back and re-select, and we'll discuss it again tomorrow."

The ministers looked at him in surprise, not expecting that this pre-arranged matter would be refuted. Wasn't it always the Prince of Yun who did these things in the past?

After discussing a few more matters, Zhao Ji hurriedly returned to his palace to catch up on sleep, only to be told by a palace servant that two secret memorials had been delivered to him that morning. He took the memorials somewhat impatiently. The first one was written by Wang Fu overnight. As he read it, Zhao Ji sneered. In the secret memorial, Wang Fu wrote that he had not intentionally been disrespectful to Li Shishi, but that Wang Zhongshan had sent Li Shishi to seduce him.

Trying to shift the blame onto others, Wang Fu, do you think I'll believe you again? Zhao Ji impatiently threw the memorial away and said, "Burn it." Li Yan quickly picked up the memorial from the ground and held it in his hand.

The next document is a memorial of apology written by Crown Prince Zhao Huan, in which he recounts his failure to manage his subordinates properly and states that Qin Hui's open defiance of imperial authority is truly unforgivable.

Zhao Ji smiled and closed the memorial, saying to Li Yan, "Burn this one too. Go and tell the Crown Prince that there's no need to take everything so seriously. Qin Hui has already suffered in prison, so let's not pursue the matter any further. It's a good thing for scholars to have integrity."

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I went to clean the new house first today; it was filthy after the renovation. When I got back tonight, I had a meeting with the members of the literary society to discuss many issues, so I'm only posting the second update now. I'm really sorry everyone.

Volume One: Fate Determined 033 Using One's Spear Against One's Shield

After the morning court session, Zhao Huan hurriedly ordered someone to bring Qin Hui out of prison. By the time Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen arrived at the Eastern Palace, Qin Hui and the Crown Prince had been sitting in the study for a long time.

Qin Hui spent a day in prison. Apart from looking a little tired, he was in good condition, even his clothes were wrinkle-free. Seeing this, Qin Zhen finally felt relieved.

"Father."

Qin Zhen snuggled into Qin Hui's arms, ignoring Zhao Huan and Zhao Gou who were still watching, and rubbed against her father's chest in a spoiled manner.

"You must not be disrespectful in front of His Highness," Qin Hui said softly. He knew that Qin Zhen must have been worried sick yesterday, so he wouldn't scold her.

Zhao Gou was used to Qin Zhen's lack of manners and casually found a seat to sit down. Only Zhao Huan felt a little awkward, as if he had never seen such an intimate father-daughter relationship before.

"Speaking of which, Qin Zhen is indeed a brilliant strategist. Qin Qing was released in less than three days, which is truly fortunate," Zhao Huan said, changing the subject.

Zhao Gou nearly choked on the mouthful of water he was drinking. "Divine strategy"? Could it be that Zhao Huan thought Emperor Huizong's sudden release and promotion of Qin Hui was just a whim?

"Brother, don't make Qin Zhen sound like she has some kind of prophetic ability. How could she be so divine?"

Qin Zhen crawled out of Qin Hui's arms and said, "What's the difference between when things go according to plan and being a prophet?"

Zhao Huan had initially suspected that Qin Zhen was behind the arrangement, but because he knew Qin Zhen only so well, he felt that she couldn't possibly have done it. But hearing what she was saying now, it was clear that she was the one who arranged it.

"How...how did you manage to change my father's mind?" Zhao Huan asked.

Qin Zhen tilted his head and said, "I was lucky. The Emperor and I have a good relationship. I asked that old friend to put in a good word for me. I didn't expect the Emperor to be so easy to talk to, so he released my father."

Zhao Huan didn't understand the truth, but Zhao Gou basically did, and thus guessed why Qin Zhen went out of the palace to find Li Shishi that night. It seems that courtesans are not necessarily useless.

In the Prince of Yun's residence, Zhao Kai's face was as sour as could be. After the morning court session, he invited Liang Shicheng to go straight back to the residence. The Crown Prince's condition over the past few months had made him feel a sense of crisis; if he didn't take action soon, he feared that he would ultimately suffer a crushing defeat.

On his way back to his residence, he asked Liang Shicheng, "What terrible illness has Lord Wang contracted? He seemed perfectly fine yesterday."

"This old servant does not know why Wang Fu is missing the morning court session," Liang Shicheng replied respectfully.

Zhao Kai said in surprise, "Then you attend the morning court session..."

"That was just a temporary measure; we can't let the Emperor charge him with dereliction of duty."

Zhao Kai thought that although Wang Fu was somewhat arrogant, he was always respectful in front of the emperor and would not be absent from the morning court without a reason. The emperor ordered Wang Fu to rest at home for three months and stripped him of his power. This was clearly a punishment for him. There must be something going on!

Upon arriving at the manor, he immediately ordered someone to inquire about Wang Fu's whereabouts at the Prince's residence, only to be told by the steward that Wang Fu was already waiting in the study. Zhao Kai and Liang Shicheng exchanged a glance, then quickly walked towards the study.

A moment later, a clattering noise came from the study, startling the servants waiting outside. The usually good-natured prince had suddenly become angry!

Wang Fu knelt on the ground with a bitter expression, grabbing Zhao Kai's clothes and pleading, "Your Highness, please save me! I was really framed by them."

"Hmph! Since Father saw it with his own eyes, how do you expect him to believe that you were framed? Your hands and feet are your own, did anyone force you?" After learning that Wang Fu had ruined a great deal because of beauty, Zhao Kai was extremely agitated and could not calm down at all.

During this period, one thing after another happened around him. First, the Cai family betrayed him, then Cai You was arrested, and now even Wang Fu, who was enjoying the emperor's favor, has been banished to the "cold palace." How could he not be anxious?

When Wang Fu heard Zhao Kai say this, he was both anxious and angry, thinking, "Are you going to sacrifice a pawn?"

He then turned to Liang Shicheng, who was standing silently beside him, and pleaded, "Father, you can't abandon your son!"

Liang Shicheng sighed and said, "You've brought trouble upon yourself and implicated the Prince. How can I, your father, help you?"

"Does this mean I have no chance to turn things around this time?" Wang Fu said in despair.

After thinking for a moment, Liang Shicheng said to Zhao Kai, "Your Highness, things have already come to this point, and losing your temper will be useless. It would be best to come up with a solution as soon as possible."

Zhao Kai was startled and said, "A countermeasure? Does Lord Liang also believe that what has happened recently was deliberately orchestrated?"

Liang Shicheng nodded and said, "How can you not see that? Your Highness's supporters have been taken away one after another, and all the benefits have gone to that other person. If Your Highness can't even see this, this old servant has truly chosen the wrong person."

Zhao Kai sat down in his chair, feeling annoyed, and said, "So it really was him? He always seemed so proper and unassuming, I never imagined he had such a deep mind! But I still haven't figured out his scheme, how exactly does he..."

"Why doesn't Your Highness understand the intricacies of this situation? He's using your own weapon against you!"

Seeing that Zhao Kai still looked confused, Liang Shicheng had no choice but to explain more clearly: "Cai You was jealous of Cai Xiao and plotted to harm his younger brother but ended up harming himself instead. Wang Fu was too eager for quick success and forced Qin Hui to turn against him, but instead of gaining allies, he lost his own power. If they hadn't harbored any evil intentions in the first place, how could they have brought trouble upon themselves?"

These words filled Wang Fu with remorse. He said urgently, "Father, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have disobeyed you and secretly helped Wang Zhongshan. Please save me this time."

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Your comments, even just a few words, are an encouragement to me. Thank you in advance!

Volume One: Fate Determined 034 Before the Envoy Arrives in the Capital

Seeing Wang Fu pleading for mercy, Liang Shicheng retorted, "I told you not to act rashly, but you did so behind my back and ended up like this. The situation is hopeless. How much more do you want to drag His Highness down with you? If you want to save your life, you should stay home and wait until the three-month period is over before making any further plans."

Wang Fu knew that it was unlikely that Emperor Huizong would believe or trust him now, so he had no choice but to retreat and wait for an opportunity.

After listening to their conversation, Zhao Kai felt even more that Liang Shicheng was a cautious and resourceful man, and that relying on him would surely lead to great achievements. So, after hastily sending Wang Fu back, he asked Liang Shicheng, "Lord Liang, do you have any way to resolve this critical situation?"

"To resolve this crisis, we must understand its source. Based on your understanding of the Crown Prince, do you think he can accomplish these things on his own?"

Zhao Kai shook his head: "This is not like him. He has always been straightforward and has never acted like this before..." He said, thinking as he spoke, and finally asked: "Could it be Qin Hui's scheme? Does he really have such ability?"

Liang Shicheng smiled and said, "Haven't you seen whether I have the ability or not, Your Highness? This old servant believes that if we want to salvage the current situation, we must get rid of the Crown Prince, this powerful arm of ours!"

"You mean..." Zhao Kai made a throat-slitting gesture. Liang Shicheng laughed and said, "No, no, doing so is too risky. This old servant has a plan here. I wonder if Your Highness thinks it is feasible."

"Lord Liang, please speak!"

...

Liang Shicheng's sedan chair wasn't carried out of the Prince of Yun's residence until the afternoon. He sat inside with his eyes closed, reflecting on the events of the past two days, secretly marveling at how swift and ruthless his junior sister had been; in just one night, she had reversed the situation. He also thought of the plan he had just presented to Zhao Kai, a plan that, if indeed devised by Qin Zhen, would be extremely dangerous to execute. He still couldn't understand why Qin Zhen would push her own father into such a predicament—it was utterly incomprehensible!

In the Privy Council, Cai Jing, along with several ministers from the Ministry of Rites, discussed who should receive the envoys. Cai Jing sat calmly in the seat of honor, showing no sign of urgency, but the ministers below were becoming increasingly impatient.

"Grand Tutor, please give us some advice. What exactly did the Emperor mean by attending court yesterday morning?"

Cai Jing slowly put down his teacup and said, "The Emperor's will is unfathomable; how could this old man possibly know?"

The officials from the Ministry of Rites stared at each other, knowing full well that Cai Jing was keeping them in suspense, but unable to pry out any information.

“These things were always done by His Highness Prince Yun in the past. His Majesty has ordered us to choose again. Who can we find in such a short time? And who dares to replace His Highness Prince Yun?”

"Hmm?" Cai Jing let out a heavy snort, and the crowd below felt a chill. He said, "In your hearts, is the Prince of Yun already second only to the emperor, above all others?"

"This..." Before the slow-witted official could figure it out, the quick-witted person suggested, "I've heard that His Majesty has been praising His Highness the Crown Prince for his composure and for handling matters in an orderly manner. Why not let His Highness the Crown Prince take charge of this matter? Besides, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and no one is more suitable than him to display His Majesty's might in front of those envoys."

Cai Jing smiled slightly and said, "The more I think about it, the more reasonable your suggestion makes... I wonder what everyone else thinks?"

Now that he had expressed his opinion, the usually indecisive crowd naturally echoed his sentiments, and the selection was quickly finalized.

Meanwhile, on Zhao Huan's side, Li Gang was paying respects to his "patron" at the Eastern Palace.

Wang Fu was ordered by Emperor Huizong to stay home for three months, so his duties as Vice Censor-in-Chief naturally needed to be taken over. Zhao Huan received the imperial edict at the morning court to take over the matter and thought that this was a good opportunity to promote Li Gang.

Although Li Gang only allowed Wang Fu to perform his duties instead of immediately promoting him to the third-rank position of Imperial Censor, this was enough to make him grateful. It also gave hope to the few loyal officials in the court. He, Crown Prince Zhao Huan, wanted to support loyal and brave people.

While preparations were being made both inside and outside the court and the palace to receive the tribute envoys, Zhao Gou, as a minor prince, spent his days doing nothing but reading books or playing football with Gao Qiu, finding it extremely boring.

One day, Zhao Gou was so bored he went crazy, so he summoned Zhao Yong to practice martial arts with him. Zhao Gou had made some progress in martial arts, but he was still far inferior to Zhao Yong. Qin Zhen, sitting beside him, watched Zhao Yong so obviously outmaneuvering Zhao Gou and found it very boring, so he suggested, "Let's go out of the palace and have some fun!"

The suggestion was exactly what Zhao Gou wanted to do. He looked at Qin Zhen happily and asked, "Where would you like to go?"