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The Dust Soon to Settle
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
On the twenty-second of the eighth month of Tianxu year 15, the matter of the heir apparent that has been disputed over for a long time finally reached a clear-cut conclusion.
Seven days after the mid-autumn palace banquet, the usually generous, gentle, and open to opinions Xuan Emperor finally decisively made the decision, personally declaring during the court meeting to commend the eldest imperial prince, Qin Wang, who has made contributions in the inspection of the northwest, possessing noble moral character, clean-living and honest, upright in conduct, harboring the country in his heart, thus conferring as the crown prince, ordering the Ministry of Rites and Zongjing Bureau to arrange the heir apparent’s ceremonial apparatus as soon as possible, and complete the grand ceremony within a month, announcing to the ancestral shrine.
At the same time, posthumously confer Qin Wang’s, that is the now crown prince’s, birth mother, the already deceased Shun Concubine as Shunhe Noble Consort, additionally ordering the Zongjing Bureau to track down the remnants of Shunhe Noble Consort’s family clan, bestowing honor altogether.
As for the other three princes, there were also clear-cut decrees.
For the imperial second prince, Wu Wang, bestow Great Sheng’s most southeast territory’s Qiong province’s southern part, with Quanyang, Nanping, Yongding, these three cities as the fief, setting out after the new year with one’s family, including all of the women and children, not allowed to leave one’s fief without a decree, and further not allowed to return to the capital.
For the third imperial prince, Wei Wang, bestow the coldest territory of the northwest, the north of the Liang province, with Xining, Beian, these two cities as the fief, setting out in the tenth month with one’s family, similarly not allowed to leave the fief without a decree, and further not allowed to return to the capital.
As for the youngest, the fourth imperial prince, Zhao Wang, whose body still isn’t considered completely healthy, as the empress’s di son, he will thereby be conferred into a qinwang. After nursing back his body, he will leave the palace to open a manor, his qinwang title able to be passed down. In the future, after marrying and having children, aside from the eldest son inheriting the qinwang title, the remaining sons will also receive a junwang title. If in the future, the emperor’s branch does not obtain a heir, then must first pick from Zhao Wang’s bloodline to adopt. This can be considered giving honor to the greatest extent to Zhao Wang who is the di son.
These decrees were issued in succession one after another, completely not getting discussed with the Cabinet Ministers and Central Secretariat. However, upon the court, there was complete silence. Even if there were some imperial censors around the fourth rank that slightly raised a bit of objection or question, it also got quickly pressed down.
Surveying through Xuan Emperor’s entire life, the most resolute and arbitrary decree and decision he has ever made was precisely on this greatest matter of the Tianxu era.
Just, what was practically the complete opposite from the high ministers’ silent attitude was the entire capital’s reaction. Pretty much starting from the night of the mid-autumn palace banquet, the capital quickly became astir because of this news that was like a giant bolt of lightning.
From the imperial clansmen and nobles above, to the court officials in the middle, down to the scholars and students below, the shock and discussions towards what happened in Luhua Hall, its liveliness even can be said to have reached a feverish degree. Probably, ever since the founding of Great Sheng, there were no other matters that can be compared with it.
Of course, for Changchun Palace’s Li Consort, as well as the Zhu family who still retain the Anshun Count title, it’s not like they didn’t try to defend Wu Wang and Wei Wang who at the time truly weren’t considered sober, saying that the two of them had gotten schemed against, truly innocent, and so on.
However, towards this, once Xuan Emperor really carried out a thorough investigation and search, he immediately found numerous evidence in Wei Wang Manor, including the four separately raised pretty ‘book boys’ outside of the wives and concubines, as well as a great abundance of various stimulating drugs, and even more than ten different kinds of ‘toys’ made from gold and jade. When the Shangwu Bureau and the imperial envoy discovered these things, the nearly fifty years old Head of the Shangwu Bureau’s old face was also completely red, clearly not expecting that Wei Wang who’d just turned sixteen would actually have this many ‘personal collections’.
Then, to bring up the arrangements in the palace, it further wasn’t able to withstand a thorough interrogation. Ming Jincheng directed the Yulin Army while Xie Min mobilized the Imperial Guards. Under the search and interrogation from both sides, very soon, there were eunuchs and palace maids that confessed, saying that Wei Wang had ordered someone to set up sleep incense in Luhua Hall and such. Just, at the time, they all thought that Wei Wang had his intentions on a certain young lady or even madam that was attending the banquet today. No one ever thought that the person Wei Wang was after was actually that elegant, graceful, and easy to approach Wu Wang.
As the saying goes, once a person is set on a preconceived idea, then when looking at those specious and vague evidences afterwards, it will very naturally become the assisting hand in strengthening that idea.
That’s why, after receiving these evidences and confessions, especially after hearing that those book boys in Wei Wang Manor were all fair and pretty, having a bit of scholarly air, even can be said to have that tiny bit of resemblance to Wu Wang, Xuan Emperor was already furious to the point of wanting to personally slash Wei Wang to death with a sword.
Just, at present, Wu Wang and Wei Wang were both unable to move after getting treated by the imperial physicians, unable to even steadily kneel before Xuan Emperor. Mainly, the imperial physicians were also both embarrassed and shocked, expressing that the two princes were both strong and healthy, and the stimulating drug was also truly powerful, so when turning bedsheets, or more precisely, as the dragons intertwine, they seemingly both had gotten injured. The two princes’ front and back equally had tears. They actually didn’t dare to say that it was definitely Wei Wang that injured Wu Wang.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
And at this time, Wei Wang arguing that his intentions were originally on Xun Ying already didn’t have any significance. It completely got viewed by Xuan Emperor as the excuse to cover up his improper thoughts towards his own brother, even suspecting whether or not the currently pregnant consorts and concubines in Wei Wang Manor really were pregnant with Wei Wang’s child.
As Wei Wang’s main consort, Wen Ruoqiong at this time had long fallen ill. Pretty much, the moment she saw Wu Wang and Wei Wang come out together, she just fainted on the spot outside Luhua Hall. Afterwards, when the imperial envoy and Shuangwu Bureau discovered the various embarrassing items and even the male concubines from Wei Wang Manor, Wen Ruoqiong further vomited blood and burned up with a fever on her sickbed, completely losing consciousness, both humiliated and terrified, sick to the point of being unable to explain anything.
Under this kind of circumstance, the most clear-headed person was still Li Consort. She was a consort that has lived deep in the palace for more than ten years after all. Even though she’d also broken down for a moment after seeing her two sons, but very soon, she removed her hairpins and changed into plain clothes, both humbly apologizing, while also crying out a grievance, begging Xuan Emperor to uphold justice for their son, especially Wu Wang.
After all, Wei Wang may have this many unspeakable secrets in his manor, but Wu Wang doesn’t. Ever since his wedding, he has been sleeping with his wife and concubines. In his manor, there were also three people that had gotten pregnant front to back. Normally, when going out, although he had guards, but in his study, aside from his aides, he didn’t have any book boys. The ones attending to the brush and ink were also all eunuchs. And most importantly, Wu Wang was invited out by someone during the banquet. Moreover, in all of Wei Wang’s arrangements and planning, all the people involved all didn’t mention Wu Wang in the slightest. Even under heavy torture and interrogation, those servants still just say that it was Wei Wang’s arrangement.
That’s why, in the days prior to Xuan Emperor issuing those decrees, Li Consort had once attempted to abandon Wei Wang to preserve Wu Wang.
However, Xuan Emperor, who’d personally investigated this matter, his anger level far surpassed Li Consort’s imagination, immediately ordering someone to have Li Consort, Wu Wang, and Wei Wang completely separated for questioning, not allowed to let three of them have any form of communication with one another, so as to avoid fabricating a story together.
And after the interrogation that night, although Li Consort can be considered to not have any direct involvement, thus getting sent back to Changchun Palace, she still was unable to meet with Xuan Emperor. Even if kneeling all night outside Ganxi Hall to plea, Xuan Emperor still didn’t change his mind in the slightest. In fact, when he ordered the chief eunuch to pass on his oral decree to reprimand her, his anger towards Wu Wang wasn’t the slightest bit inferior to his anger towards Wei Wang.
Li Consort was both shocked, scared, and anxious. For a time, she was also puzzled———-Clearly, it appears as if Wei Wang had schemed against Wu Wang. Although this is also wrongly accused, but no matter how one looks at it, Wu Wang is even more innocent. Why is Xuan Emperor’s anger instead even greater?
All the way until the twentieth of the eighth month, that is the fifth day after the mid-autumn palace banquet, Li Consort, whose strength couldn’t hold up anymore after having knelt for so long and thus got sent back to Changchun Palace, suddenly heard a news among the scholars outside, as well as how that young talented scholar, Qi Ke, who was once greatly valued by Wu Wang, often going in and out together, even letting Wu Wang personally ask Xuan Emperor to confer him as Wu Wang Manor’s historian, after giving an account to the emperor alone, asked to be stripped of all his scholarly titles, leaving the capital and returning to the countryside. Only then did Li Consort come to realization————Exactly what did Qi Ke say to Xuan Emperor?
Towards this question, in Wen’an Marquis Manor, Yu Lingxin who was also full of great relief after an event, when facing Xun Che’s answer, was also dumbstruck, “So, Qi Ke said to his Majesty that the second prince, towards him……….”
Xun Che’s gaze flickered, clearly also sighing with regret, “This, I also didn’t think of. Originally, when planning this matter, I’d already made out that Qi Ke was preparing to give Wu Wang the last stab after the fact. Just, Wu Wang’s conduct is ultimately more steady than Wei Wang. Previously, regardless whether it’s putting on a filial and good older brother look in front of Zhao Wang, or befriending the scholars afterwards, although there’s the suspicion of fishing for fame, there still isn’t much dirt to grab from his actions. Because of considering for Qi Ke’s safety, it wasn’t good for me to communicate with him too much. Just, I previously thought that since he’d been by Wu Wang’s side for that long, he must have some secrets in hand, able to be brought out at this time to pour oil over the fire, yet I never thought that Qi Ke would use his own reputation as the stake.”
As Yu Lingxin thought along his words, her face also turned red, “But, this big of matter, if Qi Ke says that he………got that, then wouldn’t the imperial physicians have to………”
Xun Che helplessly laughed, reaching out to stroke his wife’s cheeks, “What are you thinking, it’s not like Qi Ke said to his Majesty that he got—cough cough—–by the second prince.”
The usually black-hearted and shameless Xun-shizi actually also let out a dry cough at this time before saying with a laugh, “What he said to his Majesty was that he felt that Wu Wang ‘seemingly’ had unspoken implications, ‘seemingly’ having the intention of crossing the line, as well as for such a matter to occur, he felt that it ‘may not necessarily’ be all Wei Wang’s fault. After all, he’d been by Wu Wang’s side for that long previously. He always felt that his Highness although ‘liked’ handsome and talented young men, but this ‘love of talent’ more or less was based on appearance. Seemingly, towards the rather handsome-looking scholars, he truly was too ‘intimate’.”
Having the important points clearly emphasized, Yu Lingxin also completely understood. To put it bluntly, this hand of Qi Ke’s practically can be said to have Wei Wang’s behavior and style completely applied onto Wu Wang. Precisely because he didn’t directly point out what Wu Wang has done, just pointing out these suspicious points, it instead made Xuan Emperor increasingly certain amidst his emotionally crumbling mind at this time that Wu Wang and Wei Wang, this pair of brothers that has been very close since childhood, their interest in this aspect was very likely the same.
Even if the two of them have some subtle differences, for Xuan Emperor who was ashamed to the point of having a mental breakdown, probably feeling that he was truly unable to face his ancestors, he truly didn’t want to know anymore.
As for the rumors among the scholars, it was naturally put out by Xun Che. It didn’t even need to be said in that much detail. As long as it’s revealed that Wu Wang, who previously appeared to greatly respect the wise and befriending young scholars everywhere, might have ulterior motives, and even Qi Ke all gave up his scholarly titles and future prospects, leaving the capital and returning to the countryside, then those scholars that had once met with Wu Wang and received Wu Wang’s gifts, even receiving Wu Wang Manor’s invitation will all hate that they can’t immediately bathe and cleanse themselves, pointing to the sky and vowing that they absolutely have nothing to do with Wu Wang and Wei Wang.
So far, the dispute regarding the heir apparent and the state of affairs between the princes can be considered for the most part settled.
At least, under the premise of not raising a revolt and forcing the emperor to abdicate, there won’t be anymore doubt.
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I do feel bad for QK. like he did get his revenge, but at what cost? he can’t even marry XY now right? this is definitely injuring the enemy by 1000 and yourself by 999. Also was the evidence and the “book boys” planted? book boys are people who would’ve been with him since he started studying right? did no one notice the suspiciously handsome book boys earlier?
Book boys are just literate servants that serve in the study, so don’t necessarily have to be with him for that long. You’re probably thinking of study companion, which isn’t a servant, for example Xun Che was Qin Wang’s study companion.
That said, knowing Wei Wang being that lustful, those evidence probably weren’t planted.