Chapter 130: The Late Bloomer

Proofreader : Mim

 

The news of the impending arrival of Princess Consort Su into the capital spread like wildfire. Now, the entire capital knew that the emperor seemed displeased with the Crown Prince and had thus summoned the much-revered Prince Su to stay in the city.

 

After reaching adulthood, princes, unless they were designated as the crown prince, could not remain in the capital. However, Prince Su and his wife had been specially recalled. The royal court, a battlefield without visible smoke, was slowly revealing its deadly maneuvers.

 

After the death of Empress Xiao Qi, the emperor suddenly began to feel an immense longing for his late empress. With her passing, the emperor redirected all his affection towards Prince Lu and the Second Princess. Prince Lu had already been demoted to a county prince, and though the emperor offered to grant him a new fief, Prince Lu declined, choosing instead to remain in his residence, mourning Empress Xiao Qi and staying out of sight. He vowed to retreat to his fiefdom after the three-year mourning period.

 

The empress’s passing, in theory, was a national matter, requiring the entire country to observe mourning. However, Empress Xiao Qi had committed a serious offense previously, so while her funeral was conducted with grandeur according to the emperor’s wishes, the mourning protocol was significantly neglected.

 

Now, it seemed that apart from Prince Lu and the Second Princess, no one was willing to observe mourning for her.

 

The tension in the capital tightened overnight. The court families sensed the unease and chose to remain silent, avoiding the topic altogether. Many distanced themselves from the Eastern Palace in order to avoid any suspicion.

 

Throughout history, the struggle for the throne had always been a murky affair. While the Crown Prince may have accomplished great deeds, ultimately, the emperor was the true ruler—the one whom all the officials, military men, and scholars were sworn to serve. To support the wrong contender for the throne was not a gamble anyone was willing to take, as the price of a misstep could be the ruin of one’s entire family. Thus, many officials chose to remain neutral. By not taking a stance, they avoided making errors. As long as they upheld the banner of loyalty to the emperor, they were safely shielded. When the ultimate victor finally emerged, they could express their loyalty and continue serving in court.

 

With this mindset, many officials maintained a careful silence, displaying none of the passion and enthusiasm for the Eastern Palace they had shown when defending the capital. Now that the emperor had returned, it was time for the long-paused morning court sessions to resume. At one of these sessions, the emperor abruptly ordered the cessation of one of the Crown Prince Qin Yi’s proposed reforms.

 

“Surveying land anew, levying land taxes, and substituting labor with silver—what is this all about? Taxes and labor obligations are traditions set by the founding emperor. Who gave you the audacity to change them?” the emperor remarked in displeasure, dismissing the Ministry of Revenue’s proposal. Frowning, he added, “Such arrogance! This nonsense stops immediately.”

 

Naturally, some of the more conservative elder officials hailed the emperor’s decree, calling it wise. The Yan Dynasty had stood for over two hundred years. At its inception, corruption was fiercely combated, and the officials were famously virtuous. But as time passed, local gentry and powerful clans conspired with local officials to annex land under various pretexts. Farmers, whose lands had been seized, were forced to rent land to survive. Of the seven bushels of rice they harvested annually, six went to paying rent, leaving barely enough for survival. The following year, the cycle repeated, and the peasants grew poorer while the national treasury teetered on the brink of insolvency. It must be noted that the land seized by these noble families, officials, and influential clans was exempt from taxes.

 

The recent crisis in the capital was a direct result of this fiscal disaster. Qin Yi, upon taking full control of the government, realized with shock how empty the national treasury had become. After the siege of the capital, he had to borrow money from ministers to rebuild the city, distribute relief funds to those affected by the war, and provide compensation to the families of fallen soldiers. From every angle, the situation was dire.

 

Rebuilding the capital was only the first step. The next task was to rebuild the Divine Machine Corps, the Three Thousand Corps, and the Five Armies. These legendary military forces, which once swept the plains and guarded the capital, could not be left in such a state of ruin.

 

However, restoring the imperial guard required vast sums of money. Where could this money come from? It had to come from the national treasury, and taxes were the most legitimate source of revenue for the state. Thus, the reform of land surveys and taxation was urgently necessary.

 

Qin Yi had not expected that the new system he painstakingly created, which was the result of countless sleepless nights and discussions in the Wenhua Hall, would be dismissed by the emperor without a second glance. Most of the officials supporting the reform were younger men, filled with zeal, but their enthusiasm was met with a chilling rejection. Some of them, filled with indignation, stood up and declared, “Your Majesty, the treasury has been empty for years. Every year, the Ministry of Revenue collects less in taxes, while more and more farmers are displaced, unable to feed themselves. If this continues, the landowners will grow fat while the foundation of our great Yan Dynasty crumbles. The new reform must not be abandoned. We implore Your Majesty to reconsider!”

 

As soon as this was said, several young officials stood up in agreement. The hall echoed with calls for the emperor to “reconsider.”

 

The emperor’s expression darkened as he looked at these officials, who dared to openly defy him. “You all claim to be pillars of the state, concerned about the nation’s future. Yet, you speak of rats in the field, while in reality, it is you who are the termites gnawing away at the foundation!” he roared.

 

At once, many officials fell to their knees. A few elder ministers, their faces pale, trembled as they pleaded, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. For the sake of the realm, we beg you to protect your health.”

 

Qin Yi’s proposed reforms had clearly struck at the heart of the interests of the nobility and the older ministers. Personal gain always took precedence, and no one cared that Qin Yi had saved the city. If their interests were threatened, they would turn on him without hesitation.

 

The emperor, seeing a majority now siding with him, felt slightly appeased. He decreed, “These officials, who speak treason and challenge the laws of our ancestors, are to be flogged thirty times. The ringleader, in particular, is to have his examination degree revoked and be barred from future office.”

 

As soon as the emperor became enraged, Qin Yi’s close advisors tried to hold him back. The political climate was unfavorable for the Eastern Palace at the moment, and they knew it was not the time to be in the spotlight. They urged Qin Yi to wait until the storm passed before reintroducing the reform gradually, making sure the emperor saw its benefits. After all, the Crown Prince was the most critical figure in the reform’s success.

 

Qin Yi knew he couldn’t confront the situation head-on, so he tolerated the insults and attacks. However, when the emperor ordered that a minister be stripped of his examination degree—a fate akin to life-ending for a scholar who had studied for ten years—Qin Yi could no longer remain silent.

 

Unable to suppress his anger, Qin Yi stepped forward, his expression cold. “Your Majesty, all he did was propose a new taxation method. What great crime has he committed to deserve such a punishment?”

 

“He spoke treason, challenging me before the court. He must be punished.”

 

“Is the real reason for his punishment because he spoke out of turn, or is it because he is one of my men?” Qin Yi asked.

 

“Crown Prince!” The court was in shock, and the emperor, startled for a moment, quickly became furious. “How dare you!” he shouted.

 

The morning court session descended into chaos. Ministers began pleading for the emperor to forgive the Crown Prince, but this only fueled the emperor’s rage further. In the end, even more officials were dragged outside to be flogged, and the emperor personally decreed that the Crown Prince be relieved of his duties and ordered to reflect on his actions behind closed doors.

 

This event marked the largest public punishment of officials since the founding years of the dynasty, except for the initial purges of court ministers. The scale of the flogging and the number of officials involved shocked the entire court.

 

When Chu Jinyao heard that many officials had been taken out to be flogged, she had a sinking feeling. Her premonition was confirmed when she saw Qin Yi return home early once again.

 

Sighing silently, Chu Jinyao walked over and gently held Qin Yi’s hand. “Your Highness,” she said.

 

Qin Yi turned and clasped her hand, slowly tightening his grip. No words were necessary between them.

 

While the storm raged outside, within the Eastern Palace, the couple seemed untouched by the turmoil. With Qin Yi now having so much free time, he was able to spend it all with Chu Jinyao. They watched as their child grew day by day, with Qin Yi witnessing the progress of her pregnancy—the baby’s kicks becoming stronger and more frequent.

 

Despite the chaotic situation surrounding the Eastern Palace, inside, it was unusually calm. Qin Yi, with ample time on his hands, could accompany Chu Jinyao. Yet, deep down, he couldn’t shake his feelings of guilt. “I’ve caused you trouble. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be facing this anger and resentment.”

 

“You’re talking nonsense.” Chu Jinyao was comparing fabrics for the baby’s clothes. Upon hearing Qin Yi’s words, she looked up and shot him a sharp glance. “What do you mean by causing trouble? We’re husband and wife, aren’t we supposed to face hardships together? Besides, I don’t mind at all. I don’t want to go out and have to socialize with those other women. I’m always hoping for those gatherings to end quickly. Now, I don’t have to do anything and get to see you all day. I’m happy this is happening.”

 

Chu Jinyao had an uncanny ability to calm Qin Yi down without even trying. With no further argument, Qin Yi simply walked over and embraced her, resting his chin on her shoulder. His grip around her tightened, though still mindful of avoiding her growing belly.

 

From the frontier to the capital, from rising to falling, Chu Jinyao had been by his side. She had witnessed the Eastern Palace’s rise in power, the threat of the kingdom’s downfall, and the struggle to rebuild the city. Now, the hero who had once saved them all was stuck, grounded in uncertainty. The outside world continued its tumultuous ups and downs, but the only constant for Qin Yi was her.

 

*******

 

In February, Princess Consort Su set out from Qingyang, and by the end of the month, she had arrived in the capital.

 

As Zhao Lanhui lifted the carriage curtain and gazed at the familiar scenery, a smile crept across her lips.

 

Who cared that she had left the capital in disgrace last year? Now, hadn’t she returned in glory? In the end, a brief moment of downfall meant little. What truly mattered was who triumphed in the long run. Those who bided their time and seized the right moment, like her, were the ones truly destined for the phoenix throne.