< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >
Hail Upon Snow
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!
“Older sister, your clothes smell so nice.”
On the carriage back to the marquis manor, Kou Yuluo, who has already grown a lot taller, whose appearance was also increasingly similar to their mother’s, very pretty and cute, was indeed a bit worn out from traveling. But, leaning against her older sister, Yu Lingxin, who she hasn’t seen in two years, she was still blooming with smiles. At the same time, she was also very curious, pointing to the things inside the horse carriage and asking, before finally sighing in the end, “Older sister, how come your hand is a bit sticky?”
Yu Lingxin lightly exhaled a breath. As she relaxed more and more, she used the handkerchief to wipe her hand before going to stroke Kou Yuluo’s little head, “En, just now, the earth dragon was hot, so I sweated a little.”
“That hot?” Kou Yuluo blinked her eyes, a bit confused.
Yu Lingxin slightly smiled. Her warning towards the Chang’de Countess just now although was real, she genuinely was still worried about Kou Yuluo, fearing that this little guy already suffered at their hands, or perhaps already gotten taken away, sending to Li Consort or Wu Wang Manor’s side as hostage. After all, Kou Yuluo, as Qi-shi’s daughter from her second marriage, was also Qi Pei’s legitimate younger cousin. If in a few days, Qi Pei were to say that she wanted to let her younger cousin come over to keep her company, having Kou Yuluo detained in Wu Wang Manor, then the threat after threat that will follow, don’t how troublesome it will be.
However, fortunately, they managed to act quick enough. It can be considered tearing apart this segment in advance.
Yu Lingxin smiled again, reaching out to pinch Kou Yuluo’s little face, changing to ask her about her life in the Jiang province, her trip back to the capital, and so on. Kou Yuluo answered a few words along her questions and then voluntarily started chatting, telling Yu Lingxin about the various matters in the Jiang province and on the way here, all the worries getting tossed aside.
Yu Lingxin listened with a smile. Just, from time to time, she would become distracted for a moment———-Among the families that were involved in the battle for the throne, the Chang’de Count Manor actually can be considered the least ruthless. Of course, this was also because the Qi family’s style was precisely wanting to preserve themselves at all times, so not that reckless. That’s why, in the past life, although the Chang’de Count Manor didn’t help the Xun family, but because Qi Pei didn’t marry a prince, they thus didn’t do anything either. In fact, Yu Lingxin’s impression of the Qi family from that time was all very blurry.
But, now, even the Qi family, who was that conservative in their conduct, all thought of wanting to use Qi-shi and Kou Yuluo to threaten. It can be seen that the current situation was even more tense than the past life. And those final methods used by Li Consort, Wu Wang, Empress Wen, and them in the past life should be around the corner.
Sure enough, after arriving back at the Wen’an Marquis Manor and having Kou Yuluo arranged for, Yu Lingxin just returned to her room to let Bai Guo bring over the imperial bulletin, analyzing the newest information, especially the news from today’s court meeting. Yu Lingxin’s brows tightly furrowed as she listened.
Regarding the confirmation of Wei Wang’s corpse, it’d gotten dragged out until today, that is three days after Wei Wang Manor’s fire. The Ministry of Justice, Judicial Court, and Zongjing Bureau examined the body according to Wei Wang’s height, build, as well as the keepsakes of a prince left behind near the burnt corpse, and such. It can be considered giving a final verdict. The male burnt corpse inside the manor’s main courtyard was precisely the less than seventeen year old third prince, Wei Wang.
When this news passed back to the palace, Li Consort, who’d already passed out twice in the past three days, passed out from crying for the third time in Changchun Palace.
And Xuan Emperor, through the Imperial Physicians Court’s diagnosis, was confirmed to have suffered a stroke, but got treated in time. Moreover, Xuan Emperor’s foundation previously was still pretty good, so although unable to listen to politics upon the imperial court, he still insisted on letting the cabinet ministers report to him while on the sickbed. When hearing the news, he was also endlessly grieving.
What subsequently followed was naturally the investigation towards this big fire in Wei Wang Manor. No matter how dry and easily flammable the weather was, how difficult it was to guard against the candles, Wei Wang Manor still wasn’t some dense forest deep in the mountains that got struck by lightning. Aside from the fire in the main courtyard that was truly too fishy, it was just exactly how did the fire that rapidly and evenly spread to the entire Wei Wang Manor inner courtyards from the main courtyard?
This certainly must be deliberately setting on fire. Then, the crime of conspiring against a prince, what kind of person can secretly commit without anyone knowing? And what kind of deep grudge was there, where right as Wei Wang was just about to leave the capital, practically half equivalent to getting banished, yet feel that going to the northwest fief wasn’t enough of a punishment, still insisting on having him and all his wives and concubines all burned to death?
These questions, never mind Xuan Emperor wanting to thoroughly get to the bottom of it, even the others would also have doubts and suspicions.
Moreover, at this time, in the wake of Xuan Emperor suffering a stroke, Great Sheng’s changing of the skies clearly was near too. No one wanted to keep observing, and no one wanted to have the so-called suspicions pressed down. That’s why, at this time, Xuan Emperor may be unable to attend court, but the memorandums passed up by the three departments and six ministries, along with the Imperial Censorate, Tongzheng Bureau, and such were instead more than twice as much as before. As the Councilor of the Central Secretariat, Xun Che naturally was unprecedentedly busy too.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
The problems that were fiercely debated upon the imperial court appeared as if there were several, but going back and forth, it actually all still revolved around the heir apparent.
First of all, because Xuan Emperor had suffered a stroke, according to Great Sheng’s former cases, if at this time, there isn’t a heir apparent, under the circumstances of where the emperor has yet to pass away, but suffering from a heavy illness, the cabinet ministers will use the blue ink to take place of the vermillion ink, assisting in politics and overseeing the country. But, if there is a heir apparent, then it’s certainly the heir apparent overseeing the country, the crown prince’s vermillion ink next to the cabinet ministers’ blue ink, dividing the governmental affairs, but overall, it’s the cabinet ministers assisting the crown prince.
Reasonably speaking, now that Xuan Emperor has suffered from a stroke, it should be handled in this way. But, Wei Wang’s death caused Wu Wang to once again quickly and visibly become wasted away and haggard in three days. The words in his memorandum were also intense and harsh, directly raising his doubts, believing that to be able to this quietly set fire to Wei Wang Manor, the culprit certainly must hold military power, and moreover, colluded with someone inside Wei Wang Manor, in order to be able to, in this short period of time, secretly arrange the oil and such inside Wei Wang Manor, also avoiding the patrolling soldiers, setting the fire.
And the person that matched with these conditions the most, the one with the greatest suspicion, was precisely the crown prince who has always been very much at odds with Wei Wang!
When this memorandum got openly put forward, it naturally immediately stirred up an enormous wave. Inside the Inner Cabinet, the opinions also differed.
Some believed that the crown prince indeed has suspicions, so at this time, it was better to first let the cabinet ministers oversee the governmental affairs, using the blue ink, so as to be safe. Of course, some also say, the crown prince has always been diligent, having merit and no wrong, so can’t because of this baseless accusation, oppose the heir apparent overseeing the country.
But, some also feel, now that everyone of Wei Wang Manor have all died, the entire manor from top to bottom just leaving behind the most unfavored and slightly chubby Liangyuan Bai-shi, who because was too unfavored, her residence was overly remote, thus managed to escape from the disaster, this was just a fact. Moreover, the suspicious areas mentioned in Wu Wang’s memorandum were very many. The crown prince indeed fit. And speaking of the motive, although when Wei Wang was alive, he didn’t pose any threat to the crown prince, but Wei Wang’s death will impact Xuan Emperor. To put it disrespectfully, the sooner Xuan Emperor ascend to the heavens, the more beneficial it will be for the crown prince. In fact, Xuan Emperor suffering a stroke at this time, thereby giving the crown prince the opportunity to oversee the country, it really was brought about by Wei Wang’s death.
That’s why, on the matter of Wei Wang Manor’s fire, the only one that had objectively benefited was really just the crown prince alone.
As for the crown prince, he sure enough was someone that was firm and steady. Towards these controversies, he didn’t display any irritation or anger, just clearly responding to Wu Wang, suspicion was suspicion, evidence was evidence. If they want to use this to turn everything on its head, then still need ironclad evidence.
This saying although wasn’t necessarily considered the most suitable attitude, it still received the Judicial Court and Ministry of Justice’s support. If doubts can convict a crime, then presumptuously speculating about others was also a crime in itself. In that way, wouldn’t there be no one in the world that can’t be killed?
And just as this debate carried out to the fifth day, an emergency military report from the northwest added hail upon snow to the already endlessly chaotic and unclear state of affairs. The problems to the military supplies in the northwest that the crown prince previously went to investigate sure enough still encountered a shortage. The horseback bandits from West Di and North Rong joined forced in invading the border and causing a disturbance. Although it wasn’t the three countries formally waging war, the horseback bandits from the two countries were extremely dauntless. After joining forces, they already have several thousand people. Although they don’t have the power to raid the city, harassing the villages near the borders, plundering and massacring, was still possible. And the northwest’s military supplies and military provisions, sure enough, were just like how the crown prince and Xun Che had feared previously, during this year’s cold winter, there was a gap in the supply. Right now, externally, there were horseback bandits invading and harassing, and internally, the military was unstable, having the danger of a mutiny, the fire burning to one’s brows!
However, this matter didn’t have too big of a controversy. Prior Xuan Emperor suffering a stroke, he’d already issued a decree, appointing the Wen’an Marquis, Xun Nanheng, to head to the northwest. Just, at the time, they hadn’t come to an agreement with the Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue on the matter of the money and grains, and the soldiers and horses, as well as on the matter of the accompanying generals. That’s why, the trip got delayed for a period of time. But, now, since the northwest was in danger, after the inner cabinet’s brief discussion, they just ordered the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to coordinate and settle on all the related people and matters within three days.
On the second of the eleventh month, Xun Nanheng will lead the troops and rush to the northwest.
For the Xun family, this matter wasn’t considered that unexpected. The whole manor from top to bottom busily prepared for Xun Nanheng’s trip. They actually weren’t considered that worried either. After all, going to suppress bandits wasn’t considered a major matter, and reorganizing the army was further Xun Nanheng’s forte. Just, when Yu Lingxin was helping her mother-in-law, Ming Huayue, in handling the household affairs, she still couldn’t help but worry, because she kept having an uneasy feeling inside.
Actually, in the past life, exactly how Xun Nanheng passed away, Yu Lingxin has always been unclear. In the last lifeitme, when she’d returned to the capital, the Xun family just had the soon to pass away old madam, the half white haired Ming Huayue, the deeply poisoned Xun Che, as well as the crippled Xun Cong left. Towards Xun Nanheng’s death, the only thing she knew was that it happened at the end of Tianxu year 16. In other words, it was just this time next year.
But, she roughly remembered that it seemingly was also something related to reorganizing or patrolling, and not dying on the battlefield for the country. But, what the specific situation was like, in the past life, she’d never gone to figure out before. In this life, watching Xun Che plan step by step like this, she also felt that Xun Che should be very clear, so should’ve guarded against everything.
Just, unknown as to why, as the days approached closer and closer to Xun Nanheng’s departure for the northwest, Yu Lingxin kept feeling somewhat agitated, so she looked for an opportunity to mention this with Xun Che who was extremely busy recently.
Xun Che just hugged her, “It’ll be fine. You might just be too tired recently. The matters of the past life won’t all happen. I’ve already told father to be careful, and also made arrangements in advance with xianzhu and the Chen province army. It’ll be fine. Just, I’m very busy lately, so will have to trouble you to look after things at home more, especially Ying’er, be more careful, I’m scared that she will………..”
Yu Lingxin’s eyes slightly dimmed. She also couldn’t help but sigh and could only nod her head.
< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >
Discover more from Broken Jinsei
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈