Love in Red Dust - Chapter 61
Chapter 61
The court proceedings were orderly and methodical, and the Emperor was quite satisfied with the results of their northern investigation.
"Prince Chun has been very effective in his handling of political affairs. He contributed significantly to the pacification of the Khalkha, and later, upon returning to the capital, he devoted himself to his duties. His investigation into the Yunding and Bo family cases demonstrated outstanding administrative performance; he is truly my right-hand man. When problems emerged in Ningguta, I was deeply troubled, unable to eat or sleep. Although those 'Aha' were criminals banished by the imperial court, since they were not sentenced to death, they should not have been trafficked like pigs or dogs. Dao Qin and his cohorts are guilty of heinous crimes. They have turned the region where our ancestral clans originated—the very place where many surrendered captives were resettled—into a foul and chaotic mess. It is a failure of my own virtue. The Retired Emperor has asked after this several times, yet I dared not report the truth. My father is in his sixtieth year; to disturb his peace would be unfilial. Now that my twelfth brother has helped me shoulder this burden, my heart is deeply comforted. He is to wait for my decree at the Hall of Mental Cultivation after the assembly; I have my own rewards for him. The post of Deputy Lieutenant-General of Ningguta shall remain vacant for now. I order the Meile Zhangjing of Jilin Ula to act as a placeholder. If any officials have worthy candidates to recommend, submit your memorials to the Grand Council for discussion. It is not easy to find a good official in such a remote place, far from the Emperor’s reach. Without supervision, those with power and influence often lose sight of their duties, ignoring their own lives and reputations just to dig into money pits. In truth, you all know such things exist; this is not unique to outer provinces. There are such people within the court as well—some are simply blatant, while others are clandestine."
The man seated on the gold-lacquered dragon chair spoke with measured, unhurried ease, yet the courtiers below were breaking out in a cold sweat. As for selfishness, who among them did not have a bit? His Majesty was using this opportunity to "beat the grass to startle the snake"—it was hard to guarantee this wasn't for the sake of bolstering momentum for a new round of anti-corruption measures. He had been praising the Twelfth Prince exclusively; was he planning to entrust him with a heavy responsibility? That man was someone who paid no heed to the affairs of the outside world and held no deep friendships with anyone. If he were to harden his face, he would dare to pull even the Heavenly King himself off his horse.
Eyes darted like arrows, weaving back and forth. Hongce appeared not to hear any of it. He spoke in a resonant voice, "Your younger brother has another memorial to present for Your Majesty’s perusal." He held his hands high, and the imperial eunuchs respectfully carried it to the Emperor. He then stood with his hands folded and reported, "I have recently been suffering from an ailment. I was caught in a cold rain on my return from Fengrun, and I have been seriously ill for nearly half a month. When I entered the city last night and returned to the prince's mansion, I summoned the imperial physicians to take my pulse. I originally intended to request leave from the Emperor, but I was worried about the duties I had not yet explained, so I steeled my heart—even if I had to crawl, I would crawl into the Hall of Supreme Harmony... As for the Emperor’s praise, I am unworthy. The success of the case relied on the combined efforts of many; I dare not claim the credit for myself. If one must be critical, I also have my own derelictions of duty. Your Majesty ordered me to thoroughly investigate the case of the Censor Wen Lu from ten years ago. When I traveled to the Imperial Estates in Changbaishan and intended to summon Wen Lu's three sons for questioning, it turned out that all three had already passed away. The case has been stalled for seven or eight months without any progress. I have failed your high expectations and am willing to accept punishment. I beg for the Emperor’s reprimand."
He said his piece, but the Emperor only looked at the memorials. Upon finishing, he closed the folder; the contents within did not match what Hongce had just said. The Emperor had a heart of crystal—a single glance told him there was a hidden story. He did not ask in front of the others, but merely paused slightly, tapping his knee as he said, "This case has been backlogged for over ten years; the difficulty of reopening it is indeed significant. When I was in my 'dragon latent' years, I, too, handled such tasks. When one reaches a dead end without anywhere to turn, one knows the difficulty of such cold cases. Official business is important, but your health is even more so. You have just returned from Ningguta; it has been a tiring year. Go back to your mansion and recuperate properly. Lay aside the affairs of the court for now; they aren't so urgent that they cannot wait. Focus on restoring your health first."
Hongce bowed in acknowledgment. The interaction between the two brothers, while appearing perfectly normal, held its own private subtext. Regarding the Wen Lu case, should they investigate? Of course they should, and it had to be a thorough investigation. However, the stir was too great, and he feared that "a tall tree attracts the wind." It was better to move from the light into the darkness; handling it quietly was better than holding a sword over his own head. For Hongce, claiming illness served two purposes. There were rumors in the court about a crackdown on corruption; he did not have the energy to stir the mud and create enemies. The Seventh Prince understood the principle that "the gun targets the bird that sticks its head out," and naturally, so did he. Furthermore, the investigation was no longer on the surface; what was more important was Dingyi. He had not given up searching for her for even a moment. Members of the Imperial Clan could not leave the capital at will, but as long as he held an active case, he could turn his horse around whenever he got news of her, not even needing to enter the palace to seek permission. This was also a convenience.
He did not know what was discussed later in the court. Having received a special decree earlier, and due to his hearing impairment, he was not required to attend court unless there was business. Once his presentation was finished, he retreated to the side to wait for the assembly to adjourn. A man with poor hearing is often more sensitive in other ways; feeling a slight vibration beneath his feet, he knew the 'Chen' hour was approaching. With the cracking of the whips for the start of the morning court and the drums for its adjournment—a eunuch would crack a sheep-gut whip on the Heavenly Street during the morning assembly, and drums would sound at the corner of the Inner Right Gate when court adjourned. "Listen for the whip to enter, hear the drum to scatter"—this was the rule established since the founding of the Great Qing.
The civil and military officials exited the Hall of Supreme Harmony in an orderly fashion. He followed the crowd down the danbi; because he was a Prince, the person directly in front of him was the Prince Zhuang of the First Rank. The elder Prince Zhuang was the biological brother of the Retired Emperor; he was a man with no heart for court politics, spending nine out of every ten years away from the capital. When the Retired Emperor abdicated, he had followed the general trend and slipped away to Yunnan to live like an immortal. His title of "Iron-Cap Prince" had been passed to his eldest son, Hongzan—hence the distinction between the "Old Prince Zhuang" and the "Young Prince Zhuang."
Among the older generation, there were few brothers, but by the 'Hong' generation, they were all mixed together in the ranking. Hongzan was half a year younger than the Emperor, and everyone called him "Third Brother." This Third Brother was a refined and gentle gentleman, radiating kindness in his speech to everyone. Unlike his father, who could happily call a ten-year-old child "brother," he was not like that. He was learned and possessed the true bearing of a scholar. When they were children and the Retired Emperor reviewed the lessons of his nephews, Hongzan's "eight-legged essays" could make the Retired Emperor weep with emotion—he was that formidable.
The officials walked toe-to-heel and scattered once they reached the Heavenly Street. They dared not call out to form cliques, but those who were acquainted gravitated toward one another. Hongzan slowed his pace, turned back to wait for Hongce, and smiled. "I arrived late to the waiting room, and we didn't get a chance to talk. You've been running around outside for a year; you've gotten darker and sturdier. How are you? I just heard you say you weren't feeling well—in what way?"
Hongce replied, "I caught a chill and had a fever for over ten days. Sometimes I break into cold sweats; I can soak a sweat-shirt through for no reason at all. What do you think that's like?" He gestured to the side with a smile, and the cousins stepped aside to chat. "How has Third Brother been lately? Last year at the start of winter, it was your fortieth birthday. I wasn't in the capital; please forgive my lack of proper regards."
Hongzan waved his hand. "What a small matter! I didn't intend to hold a big celebration; I just wanted the brothers to gather and have a bit of fun. Later, a few of the servants under me couldn't keep their mouths shut, and it became known to everyone. There was no help for it, so I booked a few tables at the Qingfeng Restaurant and managed to get through it." He added, "It's not a good sign for a man to break into cold sweats like that. You must hurry and see an imperial physician. You are well-versed in medicine yourself, so don't be vague; don't let it turn into a real illness."
Hongce smiled, "I know what I'm doing. I'm just drinking tea made with old barley; it’s somewhat helpful."
Hongzan nodded, then as if suddenly remembering something, he said "Oh!" and continued, "There was an accumulation of sand in one of the ponds in the Langrun Garden, blocking the drainage gate. The palace said they wanted to drain the pond and rebuild it. I went to check on it some time ago and met the Noble Imperial Consort in the garden. She entrusted me with a task, saying she wanted... a coffin lid. I tried to persuade her, saying she is in her prime and shouldn't be thinking of such things, but she wouldn't listen. I had no choice but to order people to look for some high-quality wood. I just got word yesterday that they found two pieces of superior wood with star-patterns, and I’ve sent them to a shop to be crafted.寿coffin-making is delicate work; the carving and lacquering take a year or two. I don't go to the garden often, so in case the Noble Imperial Consort asks, please relay a word for me. Tell her to set her heart at ease; I have kept it in mind and haven't forgotten."
Hongce felt a headache coming on. His mother had mentioned this before he left the capital last year, but he didn't expect she still hadn't forgotten. She likely thought he was being perfunctory and that she couldn't rely on her son, so she entrusted someone else—she was clearly intending to make him lose face.
He felt a bit embarrassed and laughed it off. "My mother, she always likes a bit of novelty. She made a fuss with me about it earlier, but I felt it was too early to prepare such things, so I intentionally stalled her. She was unhappy about it, so she ended up finding you." He cupped his hands, "Third Brother has been put to trouble; I am truly sorry."
Hongzan said, "We are brothers; saying that is too distant. Let's switch places: if I had matters in my mansion I entrusted to you, would you not help? You’ve been working hard; if I can share your burden, I will. When you return, rest properly and recover your spirit so you can handle your cases... Speaking of cases, are Wen Lu’s sons really gone?"
Hongce said yes, "They were tossed about until they were in a sorry state, and in the end, they all died of the plague."
Hongzan let out a lingering "Oh." "Poor souls. They used to play wrestling with Wen Ruliang... So, this case is to be shelved?"
He looked at him. Hongzan had a compassionate expression and seemed to have had a deep friendship with the Wen brothers. Hongce, however, was a man who kept his tongue tight; no one was going to pry anything out of him that shouldn't be said. The Wen brothers were "the last survivors"—could this news be kept from the people who had originally plotted against them? The answer was yes. When people in the capital did things, it was nothing more than orders passed down level by level, and the last level must have been the Imperial Estates. The people at the Imperial Estates had quietly coveted small profits, and when their plotting went awry and they couldn't answer to their superiors, they had to be evasive, saying everyone died, everyone was ruined. After all, the road was too far; the superiors couldn't check in person, and the matter was glossed over. The news he received here had not spread, and even if someone had ambushed people around him in the capital, it would be useless. At this moment, he could not reveal it to anyone who asked, no matter how close they were. Thus, he was ambiguous: "Hearing the Emperor's intent, he doesn't want it investigated further. After all, so many years have passed; the witnesses are gone, and material evidence is hard to find. Continuing would just be a waste of effort. It’s better to let it go than to spend manpower on futile work."
"That’s how it should be." Hongzan smiled upon hearing this. "There are so many affairs in the imperial court; the memorials in the Grand Council room are stacked as high as mountains. If we don't handle the urgent matters right before our eyes, but instead fixate on old, settled cases, we’ll just let new cases drag on until they, too, become old ones. The Emperor is a first-class, clear-sighted man who knows exactly how to weigh what is light and what is heavy. Since that's the case, you can also set your heart at ease—it’s a good thing. The time is late. You were summoned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation earlier; go on. I am off to the office. Let’s pick a time to have a meal together another day." As he spoke, he waved his hand, "Until next time."
Hongce said yes, watching him pass through the Left Wing Gate. He turned and saw the eunuch from the Hall of Mental Cultivation approaching to welcome him. The eunuch bowed deeply and said, "Greetings to the Twelfth Prince! His Majesty has summoned you; please follow this servant, Twelfth Prince." Bending at the waist to lead the way, the eunuch ushered him in and settled him down, his eyes squinting into thin slits with a smile. He then turned to take a tray from a young eunuch, poured tea, and offered it with fawning behavior. "I have had someone prepare the finest pre-Qingming Longjing for you; please, have a taste? His Majesty is seeing someone in the South Study right now; please wait a moment, Twelfth Prince, His Majesty will be here momentarily."
"You’ve been busy, Second Supervisor. I heard you were promoted as soon as I returned; I haven't even congratulated you yet!"
He was joking, but the man looked embarrassed and muttered, "My good Prince, please, just call me 'Luzi'! What 'Second Supervisor'? How many years of experience do I have? How could I stand tall before you? If you have any orders, just give them. Serving you is this servant’s honor. As for this 'Second Supervisor,' I am at the command of His Majesty and the Twelfth Prince."
He produced a thin smile and looked down at the tea leaves in his cup. They were like needles, standing straight after being steeped in boiling water, floating high and low. He took a sip and nodded. "The tribute tea this year is good; it’s not like last year where they mixed in inferior leaves, thinking one wouldn't notice."
Luzi quickly flattered him: "The Twelfth Prince is the ancestor of tea, you are absolutely right. No wonder His Majesty invites you to enjoy good tea with him!"
He didn't reply, sitting quietly and staring at the tea leaves.
When the Emperor entered the room, he saw him in a trance. Those political affairs had already been settled in the front court; now, only family matters remained between the brothers. Without a word, he stood before him and handed over a thick stack of registers. "Inside are the daughters of officials of the third rank and above. They have names, surnames, and portraits. Take a look; see which one is suitable and take her home to warm your bed!”