Chapter 159: Wang Fu

The Crown Prince's left hand was crippled.

It was unclear who had started the rumor, but whenever two officials met, they would often hesitate to speak, testing one another to confirm they both knew the same gossip before finally conversing freely.

The Crown Prince was the heir to the empire and the state. Although a crippled left hand wouldn't have a massive impact, having a physical disability was, after all, not a good look!

For a time, people were in a state of panic, and an indescribable restlessness drifted through the air.

Lin Hao heard the news from Qi Shuo.

The two had not seen each other for a while; their most recent contact was when the Jing Mansion had enthusiastically invited Imperial Physician Qian to treat Lin Chan. Lin Hao had guessed immediately that it was Qi Shuo's idea and hurriedly sent Baozhu to quietly inform him of the truth.

It was during the time when Lin Chan was "critically ill." To be safe, Lin Hao had not stepped foot outside the General's Mansion to avoid suspicion.

For their own daughter to be seriously ill and for the General's Mansion to take the initiative to call off the engagement showed they were sensible, sparing Prince Wei from the reputation of being a man who brings misfortune to his wives. If the Emperor found out it was a feigned illness, they would be courting death.

Qi Shuo stared intently at Lin Hao for a long moment before saying, "I didn't expect the General's Mansion to call off this marriage with Prince Wei."

Dealing with a family that didn't follow conventional logic made him suddenly feel that the difficulty of marrying A-Hao had increased slightly.

Lin Hao smiled faintly. "Grandmother and Mother are indeed different from other elders; they care more about our peace and happiness than about power and wealth."

Qi Shuo coughed lightly and said, "My Royal Father and Imperial Mother are the same."

Lin Hao glanced at him, her expression somewhat strange. "Mainly because the Prince's Mansion is already sufficiently powerful and wealthy."

One step further, and there was only that one position left.

Qi Shuo sipped his tea to hide his bitterness.

Thus, his background was also seen as a flaw in the eyes of the General's Mansion. The road ahead was truly long and arduous.

"Was the news about the Crown Prince's left hand being crippled spread by the Heir Apparent?"

Qi Shuo nodded. "Yes. The Crown Prince failed in his scheme against Prince Wei and was already in a depressed mood. It is said that his most trusted eunuch, Wang Gui, died; spreading this news at such a time is nothing less than adding insult to injury. The Crown Prince is used to everything going smoothly and being supreme; when he encounters setbacks, he won't reflect on them, but will instead make more mistakes through more actions."

"He's just courting death," Lin Hao interjected.

Qi Shuo nodded with a smile. "Yes, courting death."

"That Wang Gui—how did he die?"

"The rumor is that it was suicide, but I suspect the Emperor ordered it." Qi Shuo picked up the teapot and poured tea for Lin Hao. "The Crown Prince is currently favoring a young eunuch named Wang Fu. This eunuch rose to prominence very quickly, coinciding perfectly with the timing of Wang Gui's death. I think it's not simple."

Lin Hao's heart stirred. "The Heir Apparent is very well-informed."

The hand holding the teacup paused, but Qi Shuo said without changing his expression, "The heir is lacking in virtue; one must be on guard for the sake of self-preservation."

He took a plain silk pouch from his sleeve and pushed it toward Lin Hao.

"What is this?" Lin Hao's attention was successfully diverted.

"A dividend from the eatery."

Lin Hao opened the plain pouch with great interest and fished out a small silver ingot.

After a moment of silence, she sighed. "Making money really isn't easy."

It was quite a feat for the Heir Apparent of Jing to go through the trouble of using a pouch to carry it.

Since it was a dividend from money she had invested herself, Lin Hao tucked it away carefully despite her slight disdain.

Seeing her put away the pouch, the corners of Qi Shuo's mouth curled up slightly. He suggested, "Do you want to go check on our business?"

Lin Hao's mouth twitched slightly.

A business that only yielded ten taels of silver...

"Let's go take a look."

***

Emperor Taian sensed something was wrong from the flickering gazes of his officials. Upon questioning Cheng Maoming, the Commander of the Jinlin Guards, he learned that the news of the Crown Prince's crippled left hand had leaked.

"Who spread it?"

Cheng Maoming did not dare look at Emperor Taian's furious face. "This servant is incompetent; such rumors are truly difficult to trace to their source..."

Emperor Taian slammed the table, swallowing his reprimand. After dismissing Cheng Maoming, he ordered Liu Chuan to summon the Crown Prince.

"Your son greets Imperial Father." Having suffered the blow of Wang Gui's death, the Crown Prince had been holed up in the Eastern Palace without going out, and had not yet heard the rumors outside the palace.

But this news would reach his ears sooner or later.

Emperor Taian could already see that the Crown Prince could not handle pressure. Rather than waiting for the Prince to hear it and act recklessly, it was better if he said it himself.

Sure enough, after hearing it, the Crown Prince could no longer hold it together. "Who spread it?"

Looking at the Crown Prince's distorted expression, like a trapped beast, Emperor Taian frowned deeply. "You are no longer a child; can you not keep your composure?"

"Imperial Father, everyone knows your son is crippled!" the Crown Prince shouted.

How could he keep his composure? In the future, whenever people saw him, they would think of his defect!

"It is merely that your left hand lacks strength. If you act with moderation and show the poise of an heir, no one will care about such a small flaw," Emperor Taian advised in a heavy voice.

This was both an admonition to the Crown Prince and a self-consolation.

Having identified him as his successor for over twenty years, he certainly did not want to replace him unless it was absolutely necessary. He hoped the Crown Prince would give him enough reason to persist, rather than disappointing him time and time again.

Looking at the son he had loved for many years, Emperor Taian felt a hollow emptiness in his heart.

He knew it stemmed from a lack of confidence.

"In a while, the envoy from Yuli will come to pay respects. Do not appear before the foreign envoy with such a dejected look."

Yuli was neutral between the Great Zhou and the Qi Kingdom, leaning toward whichever side was stronger—a typical fence-sitter.

However, Emperor Taian placed great importance on Yuli's stance. Although Yuli was small, its recent development had been good. If they truly committed to helping the Qi Kingdom, it would break the current delicate balance.

"Your son understands."

Though the Crown Prince had a violent temper, he restrained himself somewhat in front of Emperor Taian, only to vent once he returned to the Eastern Palace.

The heart-palpitating sounds of smashing and throwing echoed through the hall once again.

At this time, only Wang Fu dared to approach and speak. "Your Highness, please have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

The Crown Prince raised his hand and knocked over the teacup, his inner fire having nowhere to go. "Lately, I have been utterly cursed with bad luck!"

"Your Highness, the more things go poorly, the more one must maintain a good mood. Only then will your luck turn." When the Crown Prince was in a rage, others could only speak with trembling fear, but Wang Fu's tone was calm and gentle, possessing a strange power to soothe the heart.

Thus, the Crown Prince listened somewhat. "Maintain a good mood? With so many wretched things happening, how can I maintain a good mood?"

Wang Fu glanced left and right, seeing that the palace servants were standing far away, not daring to lift their heads. He whispered, "This servant knows of a celestial medicine called 'Five-Colored Powder.' After taking it, one's spirit becomes bright and one's mood becomes joyful. Would Your Highness like to try it?"

"There is such a celestial medicine?"

Receiving Wang Fu's affirmative answer, the Crown Prince could not help but be tempted.

He truly had enough of this feeling of terrible moods; it practically made him unable to breathe.

And Wang Fu's recent performance had long since earned the Crown Prince's trust. After a brief hesitation, the Crown Prince nodded. "Then I shall try it. If it has no effect, I will make you pay!"

Wang Fu beamed. "Your Highness will know once you have tried it."

With Wang Fu presenting the medicine, the Eastern Palace finally returned to tranquility, while various government offices began to bustle in preparation for the arrival of the Yuli envoy.

(End of Chapter)