Chapter 511 — Reward

The Crown Prince's expression was indeed somewhat dark.

A flicker of a smile passed through his eyes. Smoothing his sleeve, he was about to speak in support when Dou Bingheng, who had sat beside him all this while without a word, suddenly said, "Minister Liang, no one in this world grieves more bitterly over the Prince of Liao's treason than His Highness. But His Highness is magnanimous and of the purest filial piety; for the Emperor's safety he counted neither gain nor loss, and thus brought the Emperor safely back to the palace. To say nothing beforehand and then haggle over right and wrong afterward—what meaning is there in that?" So saying, he clasped his hands toward the Crown Prince. "All men delight in the new and weary of the old. With things so abnormal in the capital, it is only natural that the people should talk. The less we heed it, the less they will take it to heart; the more solemn we are, the more curious they become. This subject thinks Your Highness's plan excellent!"

The Crown Prince's expression eased.

Yao Zhongshi regretted that he had not seized the opportunity, and hastened to say, "This subject also thinks Your Highness's plan good." He added, "These past days the Emperor has been worn out with travel and toil, and it is not fitting for us to disturb him. But this matter should be settled sooner rather than later. This subject suggests that Your Highness might send men to spread the word on one hand, and on the other, wait until the Emperor wakes and then post a proclamation throughout the realm—thus neither is delayed."

Zeng Jian was dying of regret, wishing he could turn into a needle and fall to the ground where no one could see him. He hunched his shoulders and said nothing.

Muchuan and the others all voiced their agreement.

The Crown Prince was greatly pleased, and entrusted the spreading of the word to Song Yan.

For several days running, Song Chu rested either at his office or in the palace.

Since the Prince of Liao had come to the capital to tend the Emperor in his illness, not only was he given no reward, but all manner of unsavory tasks were handed to him—settling the dead and wounded of the Jinwu Guard, finding some pretext to demand consolation money from the Ministry of Revenue, and repairing the damaged palace gates. Song Yan wished he could grow a third head and six arms.

Dou Yan had no choice but to send fresh clothes and food to him from time to time.

The Lady of the Marquis of Changxing and others came one after another to visit her, hoping to pry a little news of the palace out of her.

Dou Yan pleaded her pregnancy and her unfitness for exertion, and turned them all away.

When the autumn winds rose, Song Yan's affairs were more or less settled, and a decree came from the palace: the Emperor was unwell, and the Crown Prince would govern the realm in his stead; on the second day of the ninth month the Emperor would remove to the Western Park detached palace.

Dou Yan was taken aback, and asked Song Yan, "Did you know about this beforehand?"

"I only just heard of it myself." Song Yan pondered. "I fear it was a decision the Emperor made on the spur of the moment."

Dou Yan said, "Then will the Prince of Liao return to his residence?"

The Prince of Liao had been in the palace all these days, while the Empress was in the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility. The Third Princess had once sought entry to see the Empress, only to be rebuked by the Empress Dowager, who told her not to go running about whenever she pleased, and set palace matrons to watch over her and make her copy out the Admonitions for Women a hundred times as penance.

The Third Princess was consumed with shame and indignation, yet the ladies of the imperial clan all shut their doors to visitors, and she dared go nowhere.

"That will depend on the Emperor's mood," Song Yan said. "Though the Prince of Liao lodges in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Emperor pays him no heed at all. The eunuchs of the palace dare not serve him tea or meals, nor wait on him to wash and change his clothes. It is said he has grown lice on his body."

"Surely not?" Dou Yan's eyes went wide.

"It is true," Song Yan said. "A phoenix fallen to earth is worse off than a chicken. Sometimes they are worse off than common folk!"

"Then he deserves it!" Dou Yan had never had any fondness for him, in this life or the last.

Song Yan went to see Jiang Baisun. "A few days ago I raised your matter with His Highness the Prince of Zhaohua, saying that if not for your message, we could never have known the Prince of Liao had come to the capital. The Crown Prince bade me ask you—what are your plans? If you wish to restore your family's name, I fear you must wait a few days. If you wish only to return to Haozhou, he will plead with the Emperor on your behalf."

Jiang Baisun's external wounds had all but healed, but his internal injuries would not mend without a year or half a year.

"I will return to Liaodong after all!" he said with a laugh. "With the Prince of Liao gone from Liaodong, it must be scattered like a tray of loose sand. The Prince of Liao's heir is only five this year and understands nothing; the Koreans will not let such a fine chance slip by. Rather than have the Crown Prince plead for me, better that I lead the sons of the Jiang family onto the field of battle. Never have the men of our Jiang family been afraid to die; only on the battlefield can the name of the Jiang family truly be restored! That is a glory neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince can erase!"

Song Yan's expression shifted slightly. "You must discuss this with my aunt first!"

The men of the Jiang family were all in Liaodong.

To go to the battlefield was to risk death and wound.

If the worst should happen, what would become of the Jiang family?

And besides, Jiang Baisun had never once been to war.

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To the sisters and brothers who read this: when I was preparing to update, the internet at home went down, and I could not find the cause, so I had no choice but to find a nearby internet cafe and post the chapter there first. It is much later than usual—I beg your generous forgiveness!

My apologies!