CHAPTER 33

 

Not only was Lu Shaoyou stunned, but even Song Yuanzhi was flabbergasted when she heard that Emperor Yongkang had invited a Taoist priest to practice alchemy in the palace. In her mind, a stampede of “grass mud horses” ran wild.

(a stampede of “grass mud horses” ran wild—a humorous Chinese slang for frustration.)

 

An emperor obsessed with alchemy and seeking immortality in his old age? How familiar! Even someone like Song Yuanzhi, who wasn’t well-versed in history, could name a few emperors who ruined their reputations with this absurd pursuit.

 

Was Emperor Yongkang doing this because he thought the Rong Dynasty was too peaceful and needed some chaos to spice things up?

 

Lu Shaoyou’s expression was filled with helplessness. “The Imperial Censor has already been angered into taking sick leave. His Majesty is entirely focused on supporting Changqing Daoist’s alchemy, and no one can persuade him.”

 

After saying this, Lu Shaoyou couldn’t help but curse Prince Wu. “What a selfish fool, completely blind to the bigger picture! Just because His Majesty has been cold to him for a while, he resorts to such a despicable scheme to regain favor!”

 

If Emperor Yongkang had raised such a disappointing son, why hadn’t he dealt with him earlier?

 

Song Yuanzhi felt the same way, thinking that Prince Wu must have lost his mind. How could he dare dabble in such dangerous pursuits? Alchemy? Those pills were filled with toxic elements. If Prince Wu wanted to die early, all he had to do was keep taking them.

 

“They should make Changqing Daoist shove all the pills he makes down Prince Wu’s throat!” Song Yuanzhi exclaimed angrily.

 

Suddenly, Lu Shaoyou’s expression shifted, as if something had occurred to him. His tone became a bit distant. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “That… might not be impossible.”

 

Song Yuanzhi: ???

 

After thinking it over, Song Yuanzhi gasped. “It can’t be.”

 

Lu Shaoyou gave a bitter smile. “Even wise emperors like Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were fooled by Taoist trickery. Prince Wu has made a terrible move, and the civil officials are already displeased. Now that things have come this far, he has no choice but to continue down this path. When the time comes, if he offers to test the pills, will the other princes follow suit? If they don’t, they’ll be labeled as unfilial. If they do, should the ministers follow? If they don’t, they’ll be seen as disloyal to His Majesty.”

 

The thought of that scene made Song Yuanzhi’s scalp tingle. She couldn’t help but say, “If it really comes to that, maybe we should just resign and retire!”

 

“Resigning is easy enough. But if all the loyal and patriotic officials resign, won’t the court be left to the traitorous and corrupt officials? As a subject, seeing the emperor go down the wrong path and only thinking of self-preservation instead of offering advice means you’re unworthy of the title of a loyal and patriotic minister.”

 

Song Yuanzhi looked at Lu Shaoyou in distress. “You’re not actually going to eat that stuff, are you?”

 

That would be suicide!

 

Lu Shaoyou’s expression turned serious. “Of course not, but that Changqing Daoist… he cannot stay.”

 

This was political strife at its finest. There wasn’t much Song Yuanzhi could do to help, so she silently cursed the author, Yu Ling, for writing such nonsense. The original novel never mentioned Emperor Yongkang being obsessed with alchemy!

 

But thinking back, Emperor Yongkang only had about a year left to live in the original story. Maybe it was because of those pills that he ended up meeting the King of Hell early.

 

Lu Shaoyou tapped his long fingers lightly on the table for a while before saying, “This is a serious matter. I need to discuss it with the empress.”

 

Song Yuanzhi asked, “The empress is already out of favor. If she tries to advise His Majesty again, won’t her life in the palace become even harder?”

 

After a long moment of silence, Lu Shaoyou leaned in close to Song Yuanzhi’s ear and whispered, “The Imperial Medical Bureau’s records aren’t looking good. His Majesty’s obsession with alchemy might be a desperate attempt at a cure.”

 

Song Yuanzhi was shocked. She looked around cautiously, then lowered her voice and whispered back, “You investigated His Majesty’s medical records? That’s a serious taboo!”

 

Lu Shaoyou placed a finger on her lips, chuckling softly as he lowered his voice. “Would you have the heart to ‘sacrifice me for the greater good’?”

 

“Stop joking! This is serious!” Song Yuanzhi swatted his hand away and scolded him. “Now tell me, how discreet were you in handling this?”

 

“If I weren’t discreet, would I still be sitting here holding you?”

 

Song Yuanzhi thought about it and agreed, but she still couldn’t help worrying. “Better safe than sorry. Prince Wu is racking his brains to find a way to trip up our mansion. If he catches wind of this, it’ll be hard to explain to His Majesty.”

 

Just thinking about how Prince Wu was the ultimate victor in the original novel gave Song Yuanzhi a headache. If that guy ended up on the throne, how could they possibly survive?

 

Clearly, Lu Shaoyou shared the same concern. The Zhenbei Marquis Mansion might remain neutral and not pick sides, but that didn’t mean they would support a prince who saw them as a thorn in his side.

 

As for Lu Shaoyou’s choice…

 

Song Yuanzhi couldn’t help but glance at him and ask quietly, “Prince Ning… Won’t he hold a grudge against you because of the rumors Xuanyuan Yu spread earlier?”

 

Lu Shaoyou raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You’re underestimating him.”

 

Embarrassed, Song Yuanzhi scratched her head and mumbled, “Well, those in power tend to be suspicious.”

 

Prince Ning seemed like a good person now, but who knew what he was really thinking?

 

Lu Shaoyou, however, didn’t seem concerned. He reassured her, “There won’t be any ill will between Prince Ning and our mansion.”

 

Song Yuanzhi didn’t know where he got his confidence from, and just as she was about to ask more, a servant arrived to announce that the empress had summoned Lu Shaoyou to the palace.

 

Song Yuanzhi had to put her questions aside. She carefully straightened Lu Shaoyou’s clothes, watching him leave before finally turning away.

 

This gave the eunuch who had delivered the message a chance to tease Lu Shaoyou. “No wonder everyone says the marquis and his wife are deeply in love. Judging by how reluctant the madam was to let you go, it’s clear she’s quite fond of you.”

 

Lu Shaoyou’s expression softened, and though he said nothing, the pride in the curve of his lips was unmistakable. He still wore that faint smile even after entering the empress’s palace.

 

The empress noticed and laughed. “What did you get from Ah-yuan this time?”

 

Emperor Yongkang was also present, and he teasingly looked at Lu Shaoyou before chuckling from his seat. “It seems I made the right call when I arranged this marriage. I found Ah-ji a good wife.”

 

Lu Shaoyou pouted. “If my mother hears that, she’ll come to the palace to argue with you. How could you steal her credit?”

 

Emperor Yongkang laughed heartily.

 

Lu Shaoyou noticed the fatigue on Emperor Yongkang’s face. After hesitating for a long time, he couldn’t help but advise, “Your Majesty hasn’t been looking well lately. It would be best to rest and have the Imperial Medical Bureau prescribe some tonics to calm your mind and strengthen your body.”

 

The smile on Emperor Yongkang’s face faded slightly, and he waved his hand dismissively. “I know what you’re going to say. My eldest son has already advised me, and my second and fourth sons haven’t been idle either. They’ve been pestering me for days, giving me headaches. I finally get to relax a bit here, so don’t spoil the mood with your well-meaning words! I’m well aware of what’s going on.”

 

Lu Shaoyou could only gaze at him with eyes full of concern. His gaze was so intense that it gave the illusion he was entirely focused on Emperor Yongkang. His eyes were particularly striking, and even his casual looks gave others the impression that they were the center of his attention. Emperor Yongkang, who had watched Lu Shaoyou grow up, had a soft spot for him, and being looked at this way made his heart soften. He sighed heavily and said, “I know everyone says Changqing Daoist is a fraud, but he’s truly talented. After taking his pills, I’ve felt much better. How could that be a lie?”

 

His tone grew angrier as he spoke.

 

Lu Shaoyou was speechless. He exchanged a helpless look with the empress, realizing that blunt advice wouldn’t work. So, he changed the subject and started talking about the progress in mass-producing telescopes and gunpowder at the Jiao Mountain camp, explaining that they would be invaluable in the event of another war with the Northern Rong.

 

Emperor Yongkang hadn’t become so muddled that he no longer cared about military matters. Upon hearing this, he was overjoyed, praising the news repeatedly.

 

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Shaoyou added, “These innovations wouldn’t have been possible without Ah-yuan. If she hadn’t come up with the key ideas, the craftsmen at the camp would still be stuck.”

 

Emperor Yongkang, already in high spirits, immediately nodded and said, “She should be rewarded with a grand reward!”

 

Then he turned to the empress and said, “Ah-ji hasn’t been married long, and I don’t think Ah-yuan’s title has been granted yet. Let’s take care of that today.”

 

The empress agreed. “As always, Your Majesty is most considerate.”

 

Lu Shaoyou couldn’t hide his joy; he was happier than ever, as if he had been the one receiving the reward. Emperor Yongkang couldn’t help but laugh at him, teasing, “Look at you, acting like you’ve never accomplished anything before.”

 

Then he stood up and said to the empress, “I promised Consort Qian that I’d have lunch with her, so I’ll leave you two for now.”

 

The empress remained composed, bowing gracefully. “We bid Your Majesty farewell.”

 

Lu Shaoyou, however, didn’t look pleased. After Emperor Yongkang left, he angrily muttered, “She’s just a consort! How dare she act so arrogantly in front of my aunt?”

 

“Ah-ji, you’re being too rash,” the empress said calmly. “If I could tolerate Xuanyuan Guifei back then, why should Consort Qian bother me now?”

 

The one who should be furious was none other than Xuanyuan Guifei, who had once been the emperor’s most favored consort.

 

Lu Shaoyou couldn’t hide the pain and guilt in his eyes as he looked at the empress. But she didn’t mind. She smiled lightly and said, “His Majesty’s new favorites are all young and beautiful. They’re in the prime of their youth, and some are even younger than Ah-yuan. It’s only natural for him to pamper them a bit more.”

 

Lu Shaoyou frowned even more. His Majesty’s obsession with alchemy and young consorts was all too familiar  pattern.

 

“What about Xuanyuan Guifei…”

 

“She seems to have upset His Majesty somehow and hasn’t seen him for days. It’s almost as if she’s deliberately avoiding him. If she were her usual self, Consort Qian and the others wouldn’t have had a chance.”

 

Lu Shaoyou couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, but theempress had her suspicions. However, she wasn’t ready to share them with Lu Shaoyou yet. She wanted to test her theory a few more times before proceeding with her next plan.

 

During this visit to the palace, the biggest reward went to Song Yuanzhi. She was about to be granted the title of Yipin (First Rank Lady), and she would be the youngest woman in the entire Rong Dynasty to hold such a prestigious title. It was enough to make anyone envious.

 

As for Lu Shaoyou, he received a new assignment: a letter had arrived from the Northern Rong, claiming that they admired Rong Dynasty culture and wished to send an envoy to the capital.

 

The two sides had just fought a major battle not long ago. It didn’t take much thought to realize that the Northern Rong had ulterior motives in sending an envoy this time. The officials at the Ministry of Rites felt that their scholarly ranks wouldn’t be enough to intimidate the situation, so they suggested bringing in someone formidable.

 

(Ministry of Rites (礼部 lǐbù): Responsible for state ceremonies, rituals, and sacrifices. It oversaw registers for Buddhist and Taoist priesthoods, foreign relations (i.e. reception of envoys), and managed the imperial examinations.)

 

When Emperor Yongkang heard this, he immediately knew what to do. The Zhenbei Marquis, who had terrified the Northern Rong on the battlefield, was the perfect candidate. If he didn’t go to intimidate them, who would?

 

Thus, Emperor Yongkang sent Lu Shaoyou to the Ministry of Rites, where he was to wait for the arrival of the Northern Rong envoy and crush their arrogance.