Chapter 45.1
The next day, early in the morning, the entire Imperial City had just woken up from the long night.
Yesterday was a rare sunny day, as a result it didn’t snow again at night. Instead, it started to drizzle and rain came, with frost mixed within, hitting the ground one by one, and condensed on the long steps of the terrace. A slight inattention may cause one to slip.
When the servants from dignitaries’ mansions went to the streets to shop, the frost had already stopped, and during this period, it’s inevitable that there’d be a lot of conversations.
Last night, the news that the Third Prince returned but unfortunately lost his memory and was blind, caused countless storms and waves in various palaces in the Imperial City. Among them, the mansions of the several princes were with the most movement, gathering Menkes without sleeping all night, discussing the subsequent situation and countermeasures.
It wasn’t until dawn that these Menkes left one after another.
Originally, upon the death of the Third Prince, the trend of seizing the crown prince position couldn’t be suppressed and increasingly intensified in the Imperial City. Now that the person who once held a dominant position had returned, yet ended up in such an appearance, it was like a zeolite thrown into an already hot pot, and was also simply like adding another firewood to the already burning fire.
There’s bound to be major political changes.
The Menkes spread the news, shaking their heads and uttering a sigh one after another.
On the other end, Mu Yuanlong, who got up in the morning and had finished training the Xuan Cavalry, happened to lead his subordinates for an inspection tour. When the horses came near the market, they suddenly heard the people in the vegetable shop in front of them discussing in a low voice, all of them with happy expressions on their faces and in high spirits.
“The Third Highness has really returned?”
“It’s true. My second aunt’s aunt’s elder sister’s son was providing horses for people at the Sixth Prince’s mansion. He said that many important figures came and went in and out of the mansion last night. When they left this morning, they were all talking about the Third Highness.”
“That is really a joyous occasion! Yesterday at the Qingsi, it is said that His Majesty brought His Highness to shoot down nine Fuzen Fruits. Indeed, heavens have blessed our Great Yuan!”
Mu Yuanlong’s pupils contracted suddenly, and he hurriedly drove the black horse to rush forward and asked, “What are you talking about? The Third Highness has returned?”
The people were startled by the sudden and rapid sound of the horse’s hooves, and when they took a closer look, they found that this man was wearing black armor and riding a tall pure black horse, with a handsome and resolute face.
“It turns out to be Xuan Cavalry Junye.” They patted their chests and immediately relaxed. (TL: Junye-the honorific title for soldiers in the old days.)
Xuan Cavalry enjoyed a very high reputation in Great Yuan, after all, they were the personal soldiers of the Third Prince, and were deeply loved by the people.
Therefore, they told the Junye what they had heard.
“Junye, this incident happened yesterday, and spread in the middle of the night. The Third Prince is an auspicious person, because he was rescued by the Confucianists of Bo Country, that’s why the army sent by His Majesty was unable to find him.”
(t/n: auspicious person- Good people are blessed by God; good people will always get help from heaven)
“It’s a pity that His Highness doesn’t remember anything, nevertheless, Prime Minister Pei still recognizes His Highness. No wonder there has been no movement for more than a year. But now, it’s good. His Highness was not dead, and we are all happy in our hearts.”
The common people were laughing, while happily filling their basket with vegetables, as if today was the new year and a great day for family reunion.
People like them with smiles on their faces, in the entire market, were not a few in numbers.
After the news of the Third Prince’s death in battle last year, the front of the Third Prince’s Mansion was almost filled with orchids offered by the people spontaneously. Including this past year, when the servants of the mansion opened the door every morning, there were almost always baskets placed in the hidden place at the door. Sometimes they were fresh eggs laid by their own hens, sometimes it’s selected pork after killing a pig, and sometimes a wrapped lotus leaf glutinous rice cake…..these things were not expensive, but they were brought from the pure and sincere hearts of the people.
Mu Yuanlong couldn’t believe his ears.
He froze in place for a while, then suddenly spurred his horse at top speed and rushed towards the Third Prince’s Mansion crazily. However, halfway through the journey, Mu Yuanlong’s heart was once again filled with panic.
He was looking forward to this scene day and night. When it was finally happening in front of his eyes, he started to shrink back again.
Is His Highness really back? Is it really not that opportunistic Confucian student impersonating him?
He has already complained to His Majesty, could it be that that person has already deceived everyone?
It was difficult for Mu Yuanlong to describe the scene when he dreamed of His Highness committing suicide.
He woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night, with his whole body covered in cold sweat, torturing himself day and night, asking why he didn’t rush into Hangu Pass together with His Royal Highness.
His Highness asked him to defend, and he obediently and dutifully defended like this, only to receive the news of his death in the end.
If time could start over again, even if Mu Yuanlong disobeyed His Highness’s order, he would follow along, even if he died in Hangu Pass, he would die without regret.
“General Mu!”
The rest of the Xuan Cavalry also heard what the common people said just now, and rode their horses to catch up.
Mu Yuanlong’s voice was hoarse, “You go to His Highness’s residence ahead, I will go back to the mansion first, I’ll be there.”
“Yes.” The Xuan Cavalry not knowing why, but since the obedient nature of a soldier was engraved in their bones, it did not made them talk and ask too many questions, thus after watching General Mu leave, they could only glance at each other, with not only the cheerful expression on the surface but also with uneasiness.
“We, we, why don’t we go to the camp to inform the brothers first?”
One of them took a glance at the others, and was then pushed by the other. “Don’t waste time, let’s go quickly and knock on the door!”
On the other side, after leaving from the Third Prince’s Mansion, Mu Yuanlong galloped all the way back to the Mu Mansion.
A little servant of the Mu Mansion was cleaning the fallen leaves in front, and was a little surprised when he saw him.
In the past, Mu Yuanlong always went out to train at dawn and returned at dusk–so why did he come back not long after he went out today?
Mu Yuanlong handed over the reins to the servant, “Where is the Marquis?”
“The Marquis is in the study.”
The Mu family was an aristocratic family of generals, at that time, they followed the previous emperor to conquer the world. Over the years, they had continuously provided talents for the Great Yuan, and it was no exaggeration to say that the whole family was loyal till death.
Mu Yuanlong was the legitimate son of this generation of the Mu family.
Originally, according to the tradition, he would take over the Mu family commander-in-chief seal and inherit the Marquis Mansion in the future. Of course, before inheriting the Marquis Mansion, he needed to show outstanding achievements first.
Yet, in the final result, the Third Prince was killed halfway.
When Zong Luo came back from the Ghost Valley and lived in the palace for a short time, Mu Yuanlong petitioned to be in command.
Emperor Yuan didn’t give him the right to form his own soldiers in the first place, but rather to let him show his talent in small things first and gave him full responsibility to take charge of the war against a small border country, conferring him the wartime general.
At that time, Mu Yuanlong had already had several battlefield experiences, so it stood to reason that the position of top general should fall on his head. As a result, with Zong Luo’s arrival akin to a senior official being sent directly to a place to serve as a magistrate, he became a subordinate general, and was dissatisfied in his heart.
Zong Luo also guessed that he was dissatisfied, thus he picked a pleasant and sunny time before the departure, called people to the martial arts arena in the suburbs of the capital, fought from early morning to dusk, and directly put down a group of people who were dissatisfied with him.
It’s not over yet. When Zong Luo came back from this battle and when he formed his personal soldiers, he even took turns in trying out the children of dignitaries from aristocratic families in the entire capital who were learning martial arts.
Before testing, he said that he wanted to accept some younger brothers. It’s just that most young people were proud and aggressive. Since Zong Luo also said that he’d put down his identity, there were indeed many people who were eager to give it a try, wanting to give the third prince, who had been a hostage all year round, a good look.
As a result, Zong Luo defeated all of them in the end, there were quite a few who cried and howled to be loyal to him, and Mu Yuanlong was one of them.
The elders of each family did not prevent it either.
They could all see what took place. The eldest prince died in battle, and after the premature death of the second prince, the third prince became the oldest prince in the entire Great Yuan. Although Emperor Yuan was not that close to this son, the act of entrusting the military power to him and letting him go out to lead troops to fight was enough to show his importance.
Eggs could never be placed in one basket.
Great Yuan stresses martial arts, and almost every emperor of the Zong clan was killed on the battlefield.
Furthermore, if there was a change in the palace, even if a crown prince was not yet established, a prince with soldiers in his hand could directly be killed. Just like raising a Gu, every emperor of Great Yuan had a more or less brutal reputation, and the outstanding one among them was precisely the current Emperor Yuan.
There were currently seven princes, one was too young, one was from a humble background, one was born stupid, and the remaining three were expected to compete for the throne.
