NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 - Venting
The late spring in the capital was the most unreasonable, with sudden rain and sunshine, fluctuating between hot and cold. In the early morning, one would still need to add extra layers, but by midday, one would wish for a veil and ice-cold food.
Today was no different. In the afternoon, a light rain fell, but before it could thoroughly wet the window, the clouds scattered and the sky cleared.
The eunuch carefully helped Yinreng down the slippery steps and led him along the winding corridor toward Cheng Gege’s back room.
Before Yinreng even entered the courtyard, he spotted two figures standing at the gate.
Yang Gege’s face was full of joy as she quickly stepped forward to greet him, greeting him gently, “Greetings to His Royal Highness.”
Cheng Wanyun did not compete for attention and quietly followed, performing her curtsy.
Although He Baozhong had come early to deliver the message, she had only had enough time to comb her hair and put on her clothes, making sure she didn’t make any mistakes.
“Rise.” The Crown Prince bypassed Yang Gege and walked into the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
Cheng Wanyun, hearing his tone, immediately sensed something was off.
The Crown Prince sounded displeased!
Cheng Wanyun quietly took half a step back and slowly followed behind, trying to reduce her presence. Her and Yang Gege’s opposite actions caught the attention of He Baozhong, who glanced at her curiously.
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.” Yang Gege, seemingly oblivious to the tension, tilted her head and gazed at the Crown Prince with playful eyes, looking delicate and charming. “I came to talk to Cheng Gege, but didn’t expect to run into you…”
Yinreng interrupted her, “You may leave.”
Yang Gege’s smile instantly froze on her face, and she stood there in a daze.
Immediately after, the Crown Prince turned to He Baozhong and said, “Empress Tong is seriously ill, and the Emperor has ordered a fasting prayer for her. You should inform Side Concubine Li that, starting today, Yuqing Palace will observe a three-month fasting period. Everyone should focus on simplicity and avoid dressing up too flamboyantly, so as not to give others something to gossip about.”
He then cast a glance at Cheng Gege, who was practically pressed against the wall, and couldn’t help but feel a little amused. It was quite odd—those who usually didn’t seem particularly sharp suddenly showed such awareness at moments like this.
He added, “Dressing like Cheng Gege is just fine.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Yang Gege’s face turned deathly pale, and she almost staggered. She could no longer bear to stay and, forcing herself to reply, said, “Then I’ll take my leave,” before hastily covering her face and leaving.
Now, Cheng Wanyun had nowhere to hide. Meeting the Crown Prince’s deep, intense gaze, she slowly moved closer and bowed, saying, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince casually took her hand, purposely asking, “What are you thanking me for?”
“Thank you… for standing up for me.”
“You’re quick to be clever now, but how come you let others bully you to this point?” The Crown Prince’s smile turned more genuine.
“I was a bit angry earlier,” Cheng Wanyun said, gently squeezing the Crown Prince’s fingers, “but now that you’ve avenged me, I feel much better.”
“You’re easy to please,” the Crown Prince lowered his gaze and smiled, quickly masking the coldness in his eyes.
His trusted confidant, Haha Zhuzi, had already investigated the matter. Yang Gege’s father had a distant marital connection with Concubine Hui, Nala. Yang Gege was someone specifically cultivated by Consort Hui for him. Such a background naturally made him wary, and he hadn’t expected to find Yang Gege waiting for him by the small pavilion at the second gate, holding a long-haired orange-and-white cat.
He glanced at the cat and turned to leave.
The underhanded intentions were obvious, and after that day, he never stepped foot in the Western Chamber again.
He was already feeling irritable.
For the past few days, he had been kept in the Qianqing Palace by Emperor Kangxi, attending discussions with officials like Mingzhu, his uncle Suoetu, and Tong Guowei about negotiating the border with Tsarist Russia in the Nibuchu region.
Although he hadn’t returned to Yuqing Palace, he was still able to learn about the happenings in the palace every day. The only person who didn’t resort to bribing or scheming to buy people’s loyalty, trying to place her own people, or inquiring about his whereabouts every few days, was Cheng Gege.
During his absence, everything at Chunben Hall was managed by Nanny Ling. Every time she reported the small affairs of Yuqing Palace to him, it was always about how Side Concubine Li had sent a few people to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, called for a physician a few times, or how Yang Gege had sent money to the people serving at Chunben Hall. These reports only made him feel more troubled. But, with a hint of expectation, he asked, “What’s Cheng Gege doing?”
Nanny Ling would always hesitate when speaking about her, saying with a half-smile, “Cheng Gege spent money to buy a big rocking chair, planted many flowers, and even had the Livestock Department send over a barrel of fish. Every day, she brings out the turtle to bask in the sun, and she’s even planted two pots of… onions under the window.”
Yinreng couldn’t help but laugh out loud, spilling his tea. His weary heart was soothed.
Now, seeing the newly planted camellias, washed by the spring rain, with fresh green everywhere and the fragrance of flowers in the air, he felt at ease. There were also the potted onions under the window, planted in exquisite Ru kiln ice-crack porcelain pots, which he had given her as a gift. She often hummed the line “The sky is a pale blue waiting for the misty rain,” and indeed, the pale blue of the Ru kiln was unrivaled in beauty. But why had she named her hometown tune “Blue and White Porcelain”? It was quite strange.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice that Cheng Wanyun was watching him.
What had this guy been doing? He looked like one of those gloomy characters from anime, with dark clouds hanging over his head in the rain.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, why do you look so tired?”
Yìnreng looked at her in surprise, but she tugged at him and pulled him into the room. As she walked, she muttered softly, “Come in and rest, you look completely drained.”
He thought he was concealing his weariness well, but she had noticed.
Yinreng shook his head and smiled softly, but his shoulders subconsciously relaxed as he allowed her to lead him into the room.
It had been five days since he last returned to Yuqing Palace. Every night, he was kept awake by the heated debates and arguments, so he had been staying in Qianqing Palace instead. The side hall of Qianqing Palace still held his daily necessities. He had lived there until he was six, before moving to the newly renovated Yuqing Palace. At first, he wasn’t used to the new palace and would often return to Qianqing Palace for short stays, sometimes staying for ten days or half a month.
Emperor Kangxi had always kept him around.
“In response to the Emperor’s words, from my humble perspective, if those Russian barbarians keep making unreasonable demands, there is no need to negotiate with them! Since we signed the truce at Yakesa three years ago, they have been facing internal and external troubles. The Portuguese man Xu Risheng once said that the Tsar is fighting several European countries while also facing peasant uprisings at home. They are truly exhausted both militarily and financially, and I believe they don’t have the strength to engage in a direct confrontation with our great Qing. We just need to take control of the Nechuchu area and subdue them!” Suoetu spoke first.
Suoetu was tall and strong, and in his youth, he had been one of Emperor Kangxi’s top bodyguards, playing a key role in the Emperor’s plot to capture Ao Bai. Now, in his middle years, he still had a booming voice and a thick beard, looking every bit the part of a warrior.
Emperor Kangxi sat on his throne, hearing Suoetu’s words without showing any clear opinion. He raised his hand, signaling for him to sit down. “Suoetu, calm down.”
Mingzhu, who sat on a small round stool opposite Suoetu, observed that the Emperor did not accept his opinion and thought to himself, ‘How can this fool still not understand that His Majesty is in favor of peace talks? If we were to subdue the Tsar with military force, we would not have withdrawn from Yakesa three years ago after receiving the Tsar’s request for a peace settlement.’
He firmly believed that Suoetu’s intellect was only useful for highlighting his tall stature.
— A grudge from Mingzhu, who had once been passed over for the position of top bodyguard due to his lack of height and had instead been appointed as a blue-feathered guard.
Therefore, Mingzhu smiled slightly and spoke, “Although Suoetu’s words have some merit, I believe there is an old saying among the Han people: ‘Enemies should be resolved, not left unresolved.’ We have no major enmity with the Tsar; it’s just a small dispute over some remote borderland. Why should we resort to threats of violence and harm the relationship between our two countries? Moreover…”
Mingzhu, with his fair complexion and delicate features, had been a prominent figure in the Qing court. In his youth, he had served as the Emperor’s “Court Official of Ceremonial Observance,” standing at the front of the procession whenever the Emperor traveled.
He was also one of the few scholars among the Qing aristocracy.
Mingzhu deliberately paused, looking at Suoetu with raised eyebrows, and then continued leisurely, “Moreover, we have been dealing with the Tsar for years. I believe the Tsar is not some weak, insignificant country. Their territory is as vast as ours. If we resort to force, we will have to pay a painful price to subdue them, and that would be a disaster for the many Qing citizens along the borders. A policy of peace and rest, followed by trade and communication, is the way to benefit both the country and its people for generations. Therefore, I believe that anyone still advocating for the use of force is either foolish or wicked.”
“You—” Suoetu was furious, standing up abruptly. His face turned red and his neck thickened with anger, yet he couldn’t find any words to counter. He could only point at Mingzhu and shout, “Nalan Mingzhu! You’re all talk! If you have the guts, let’s go outside and settle this!”