Chapter 132: A Counter Move

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Less than a month after Qin Yi was placed under house arrest, he was reinstated to rebuild the three military divisions at the Xishan (Western Mountains) military camp.

 

As a result, Qin Yi became incredibly busy. Rebuilding the Wujun Battalion (Divine Machine Corps), the Sanqian Battalion (Three Thousand Corps), and the Shenji Battalion (the Five Armies) was no small matter. It was unrealistic for him to commute between the palace and Xishan daily, so he sometimes stayed overnight at the camp.

 

Recently, the days Qin Yi spent outside the palace increased. Seeing this, Chu Jinyao quietly huffed and rolled her eyes. Qin Yi had no choice but to deal with his beloved wife’s displeasure. This, after all, was part of his plan: first, intentionally triggering the emperor’s suspicions, openly exposing these thoughts under the sun, and then naturally drawing the emperor’s wrath. Everything had been within his calculations. After all, if the crown prince didn’t face some setbacks, how could he garner sympathy from the ministers and display the righteousness of the Eastern Palace? Moreover, if he didn’t step aside, how could those harboring ill intentions reveal themselves?

 

During his house arrest, Qin Yi had not severed contact with his confidants. Prince Su, growing up within the palace, might not have much in terms of real abilities, but he was adept at manipulating power, currying favor, and eliminating rivals. However, these tricks were laughable in Qin Yi’s eyes. Most of the officials in the capital had been appointed by him, and the framework of the Six Ministries was his creation. Prince Su’s attempts to gather support within this foundation were like a stranger trying to steal bricks while the homeowner wasn’t watching—utterly absurd. Qin Yi knew the court inside and out, and he couldn’t be bothered with Prince Su’s petty moves.

 

As for Princess Consort Su’s efforts in the capital to buy the hearts of the people and build her reputation, they were even more laughable. In any era, gaining a virtuous reputation without being in power was never a good thing. For a minister, it was essential to have flaws. If Princess Consort Su was determined to dig her own grave, Qin Yi wasn’t going to stop her.

 

The only unforeseen part of Qin Yi’s plan was Chu Jinyao. Initially, Qin Yi had planned to lay low and then arrange for someone to stir up public opinion, pushing for his reinstatement. His ideal next post was, of course, the military camp. In peaceful times, the civil officials held sway, but in times of crisis, real power lay with the army. Now that the situation was about to change drastically, anyone who wanted to remain in the court could stay, but Qin Yi intended to focus on building his own military forces.

 

At the time, murmurs had already begun in the court about rebuilding the three military divisions. Qin Yi had intended to arrange for someone to convince the emperor of the importance of keeping the crown prince, pointing out that once established, a crown prince should not be easily deposed. Moreover, Qin Yi had done nothing wrong, and allowing Prince Su to gain power would only create trouble. However, before his people could act, Chu Jinyao had a chance encounter with the emperor.

 

Qin Yi wasn’t sure whether to feel proud of Chu Jinyao’s persuasive skills or sad that the emperor only seemed to listen to women. Either way, Qin Yi was reinstated effortlessly and, as he wished, was sent to the Xishan military camp.

 

The only slight issue was that Chu Jinyao thought he had deliberately used her, but with Qin Yi now buried in military work and unable to split his time, there was little he could do to reassure her. He could only put it aside for now, trying his best to find time to return to the Eastern Palace.

 

In Prince Su’s residence, the atmosphere was much darker. Prince Su, who usually wore a gentle and virtuous mask in public, now had a somber expression.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

Fang Pucun was flipping through documents, a strange glint in his eyes. His otherwise plain features now exuded a hint of fanaticism. “Your Highness, we’ve likely fallen into a trap.”

 

“A trap?” Prince Su was skeptical. He and Noble Consort Shu had been plotting for years, even at the cost of weakening the kingdom’s century-old foundation. The three battalions had been destroyed, but once he ascended the throne, they could be rebuilt. But if he did nothing, what did the kingdom, the dragon throne in the Imperial Palace, have to do with him?

 

The entire nation had fallen into his plan, and Prince Su had always felt a certain pride in that. Now, Fang Pucun was telling him that he had fallen into someone else’s trap? How was that possible?

 

“Yes,” Fang Pucun’s expression was resolute, his eyes shining with the excitement of encountering a worthy adversary. “He truly is a born strategist. I don’t know when he realized our intentions, but as soon as he sensed a shift, he adjusted his strategy, using the situation to his advantage. This is a true genius!”

 

At first, Prince Su was confused, but then he understood whom Fang Pucun was referring to. Uncomfortable, Prince Su felt a sting of jealousy. Fang Pucun, who had always been arrogant and aloof, was now offering such high praise to Qin Yi right in front of him. Naturally, this made Prince Su uneasy.

 

Noticing Prince Su’s displeasure, Fang Pucun didn’t take it to heart. He had always seen himself as the reincarnation of Zhang Liang or Zhuge Liang, destined for great achievements. In his eyes, the imperial examination was a system designed for mediocrity, and he despised the idea of climbing the ranks like a common official. He believed someone with his unparalleled talents deserved a far more remarkable introduction to history.

 

Because of this, Fang Pucun had neither taken the imperial exams nor joined the Eastern Palace as a subordinate. He disdained the path of conventional promotion and had no interest in mingling with the Eastern Palace’s advisors. Furthermore, destroying something, rather than maintaining it, was the true mark of genius. After all, maintaining peace could be done by any mediocre person, but to bring down an entire system in an instant required an exceptional talent.

 

Fang Pucun’s ambitions aligned with Prince Su’s desires for the throne, and thus they formed a mutually beneficial alliance. However, Fang Pucun never truly saw Prince Su as his master, so he had no patience to soothe Prince Su’s fragile ego. Right now, Fang Pucun was brimming with excitement at encountering a strong opponent. It seemed he had severely underestimated his adversary, and this game was far more intriguing than he had initially thought.

 

Prince Su knew Fang Pucun wasn’t loyal, but he suppressed his anger. The grand plan was not yet complete, and showing displeasure now would be unwise. Gradually, his expression returned to normal, and with a respectful tone, he inquired, “Master Fang, given your insight, what should we do next?”

 

Since Fang Pucun had been treated with the respect of a national advisor, he had grown accustomed to Prince Su’s deferential attitude. Without hesitation, he replied, “We fight poison with poison.”

 

Hearing this, Prince Su clenched his fists. Once his plan succeeded, he swore he’d eliminate Fang Pucun immediately. But for now, he maintained his respectful demeanor. “Master Fang, what do you mean by that?”

 

Fang Pucun pointed north and explained, “The key lies with the rightful heir. Without that, we have nothing.”

 

—

 

Chu Jinyao’s pregnancy was progressing, and she was becoming less mobile. Recently, Qin Yi had been away for five consecutive days, not returning to the palace.

 

In truth, five days wasn’t particularly long. In the Marquis Changxing’s household, Chu Jinyao had seen the marquis visit his official wife Madam Zhao only on the first and fifteenth of each month. The situation was similar for the other wives. Although the official wife and husband lived in the same residence, they didn’t necessarily see each other every three or four days. Chu Jinyao’s situation was unusual. She and Qin Yi had spent every moment together, so these five days of separation felt particularly long to her.

 

Chu Jinyao had started to experience swelling in her legs. Linglong, her maid, was massaging her legs and tactfully advising, “Your Highness, His Highness has been busy lately, running between two places. You should speak more with him and make sure no one else takes advantage of his absence.”

 

“How much did he bribe you to speak on his behalf?” Chu Jinyao asked lightly.

 

Linglong flushed with embarrassment and redoubled her efforts in massaging. Chu Jinyao was merely teasing. There was no real issue between her and Qin Yi, and there was no reason to take it out on the servants and Linglong meant well.

 

As Chu Jinyao sat there, a palace maid came in to report that Princess Ru Ning had arrived.

 

Hearing this, Chu Jinyao quickly asked the maid to bring the princess in. When it came to Princess Ru Ning, Chu Jinyao could only sigh.

 

In this dynasty, due to the peculiar rule that princess consorts could not enter officialdom, the princesses’ husbands usually ended up with a lower social status than expected. This also affected the feelings between many princesses and their husbands. However, Princess Ru Ning and General Chai were an exception. General Chai was the youngest legitimate son in his family and had been greatly pampered since childhood. When he married the gentle and quiet Princess Ru Ning, their relationship was harmonious. Unfortunately, this royal love story came to a tragic end during the Battle of Xuanfu.

 

General Chai had followed the army on a campaign and died beyond the border.

 

In this dynasty, even for a princess, remarriage was out of the question. Chu Jinyao truly pitied the couple. When she had been living at the Changhe Garden, she had teased Princess Ru Ning and her husband about their happy marriage. Who would have thought that their bliss would be shattered so soon?

 

After learning of her husband’s death, Princess Ru Ning was devastated and fell into deep sorrow for several days. Eventually, she gave up hope for the future. Occasionally, she would visit the palace to chat with Chu Jinyao. Even during the time when Qin Yi was under house arrest and the Eastern Palace’s influence had waned, Princess Ru Ning never distanced herself from Chu Jinyao. Now that Qin Yi had returned to court, Princess Ru Ning came to the palace specifically to congratulate her.

 

After sitting down, Princess Ru Ning asked carefully about Chu Jinyao’s pregnancy, her expression a mix of curiosity and worry. As someone who had been widowed at a young age and had no children, Princess Ru Ning’s concern was understandable, and Chu Jinyao couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. So she deliberately kept the conversation light and cheerful, chatting with Princess Ru Ning about easy topics.

 

Their conversation was pleasant, and soon they moved on to discussing recent developments in the capital. Princess Ru Ning lived outside the palace, so she was well-informed about the happenings beyond its walls. She said, “Lately, Princess Consort Su’s reputation for charity and virtue has been spreading far and wide. I’ve even heard that the common people have started composing songs about her, and they’re being sung all over the streets.”

 

Hearing this, Chu Jinyao had no particular response. She only smiled lightly and said, “Princess Consort Su comes from a distinguished background. It’s no surprise that she is so concerned about the welfare of the people. This is a credit to Princess Rong’an and the Prince Wei Mansion, who raised her so well.”

 

Princess Ru Ning smiled knowingly, her meaning clear despite her silence. If Princess Consort Su were truly concerned about the people’s suffering, where had she been during the most difficult months when the capital was on the brink of collapse? Now that the worst was over, Zhao Lanhui had come to the forefront, donating to charity and even giving offerings to temples under the pretense of praying for the late Empress Muhuai. It was obvious that she was doing everything she could to gain favor with the emperor. Even going so far as to use the late empress’s name—Princess Consort Su and her husband had no shame. Yet they sought to enhance their reputations for virtue and kindness, assuming the people of the capital were fools who wouldn’t see through it.

 

Moreover, the achievements that Prince Su was now taking credit for weren’t truly his. If not for the crown prince, who had restored order and put everything in place, what could Prince Su have accomplished? He was merely reaping the benefits of what had already been done, which is why Princess Ru Ning had little respect for the couple’s eagerness to take the limelight.

 

Chu Jinyao understood the unspoken meaning behind Princess Ru Ning’s words, but she didn’t comment on it. After all, this was a double-edged sword. While Prince Su was leveraging Qin Yi’s efforts to build up his own merit, at the same time, everything he did would ultimately reflect back on Qin Yi. No matter what he accomplished, people would know it had been made possible by the foundation Qin Yi had laid. In the end, Qin Yi’s reputation as a competent leader who had been sidelined out of jealousy only grew stronger, winning him the sympathy of many. As for Prince Su, he was only digging his own grave.

 

Princess Ru Ning was aware of the sensitive nature of these topics and didn’t push Chu Jinyao to comment. She understood that in the palace, one had to be careful. But deep down, she harbored an even more chilling suspicion: Empress Xiao Qi had persuaded the emperor to lead the military campaign, which ultimately failed at Xuanfu. The crown prince had been left to oversee the state in the emperor’s absence, while Prince Su had gone out to retrieve the emperor. The very next day, before the emperor’s return to the palace, Empress Xiao Qi had been poisoned to death, with the crown prince and crown princess immediately becoming the targets of suspicion.

 

Step by step, piece by piece, it all seemed too convenient, too perfectly orchestrated. The empress had been labeled as a troublemaker to the country, disqualifying her son, Prince Lu, from competing for the throne. Meanwhile, the crown prince had done an excellent job but was nonetheless viewed with suspicion. And in the midst of all this, the only ones to benefit were Noble Consort Shu and Prince Su.

 

Thinking about this possibility sent a chill down Princess Ru Ning’s spine. If this were true, it meant that Noble Consort Shu and Prince Su had sacrificed the lives of soldiers and citizens for their own gain, completely disregarding the welfare of the kingdom. Such actions were not only despicable but also inhuman. And during this chaos, they had also caused the death of Princess Ru Ning’s husband.

 

The more Princess Ru Ning thought about it, the more unsettled she became. After chatting for a while longer, she noticed that it was getting late. Chu Jinyao escorted her to the door of the palace, but just as they reached the gates, they were met by a group of unexpected guests.

 

Chu Jinyao looked at the eunuchs who quickly and silently surrounded her, her eyes sharp as she calmly asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

 

The head eunuch gave Chu Jinyao a slight bow, his tone both servile and insolent as he spoke in a high-pitched voice, “Your Highness, we mean no offense, but the Eastern Depot has received a secret report accusing the crown prince of plotting rebellion. I’ve been commanded by His Majesty to search the Eastern Palace.”

 

With that, the eunuch signaled for his men to step forward. Chu Jinyao remained unmoved, her gaze sweeping over the group before her as she spoke slowly and clearly: “Let me see which one of you dares.”