When He Huailing entered Zhu Yunxun’s bedroom, Zhu Yunxun was playing with a canary on a bird stand. He smiled and dismissed He Huailing’s politeness, asking him: “I heard that you were called to the Eastern Palace by the Crown Prince. What did he want to talk to you about?”
He Huailing’s voice was calm: “His Royal Highness is quite curious about the matters on the battlefield. He let me talk to him about it.”
The corners of Zhu Yunxun’s mouth curled slightly, showing disapproval: “My elder brother, the Crown Prince is just like this canary, he is extremely delicate. What use does he have for such discussions? Does he still intend to personally go to the battlefield?”
He Huailing didn’t seem to agree with his words: “As His Royal Highness is the Crown Prince, he should be aware of these things.”
Zhu Yunxun’s expression darkened for a moment but quickly brightened again. He changed the subject and said: “I called you here today to tell you some good news. Your old friend, Xu Daren, is still alive. My people found him at the Crown Prince’s private Zhuangzi on Phoenix Mountain.”
He Huailing lowered his gaze: “Is what Your Highness said true?”
“Of course, it’s true. I wouldn’t deceive you. It took me a lot of effort to find out for you. How can it be so easy for me to discover that the Crown Prince is harbouring a wanted imperial criminal?”
He Huailing furrowed his brows and asked Zhu Yunxun: “Has Your Highness never thought about reporting this matter to His Majesty?”
“How can it be? Xu daren would not survive if I told my father honestly. Since I promised to help you find him, I can’t leave him to die again. Besides, if this matter reaches Father Emperor, the Crown Prince may not be treated well. At most, he would reprimand him verbally.”
He Huailing cupped his hands: “Thank you, Your Highness the Second Prince.”
Zhu Yunxun smiled: “Don’t always be so polite to me. I didn’t do anything. If you really want to rescue someone, you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”
Dingyuan Marquis’s residence.
As soon as He Huailing returned to the mansion, the steward brought an invitation card. It was the Eldest Princess who invited the younger generation of various families to go for an outing at her Zhuangzi in three days.
In the past few months after returning to the capital, He Huailing had received countless invitations like this, and he had always found ways to decline. Knowing that the Eldest Princess wanted to hold a blind date event, He Huailing originally planned to use the excuse of being busy with official matters to decline. After thinking about it, he asked the steward again: “The Eldest Princess’s Zhuangzi, is it located on Phoenix Mountain?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Yes, it is indeed on Phoenix Mountain.”
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It was one of Du Tingzhong’s acquaintances and a group of poet friends from a local poetry club he joined who exposed Du Tingzhong’s reckless remarks about national affairs and his rebellious words. With the weight of multiple testimonies, Du Tingzhong could hardly defend himself. When public opinion was overwhelming, Du Tingzhong found it difficult to defend himself. In addition, the imperial investigator’s unauthorized speculation confirmed his guilt. In reality, this case was the result of far greater political struggles in the Jiangnan officialdom.
Du Tingzhong had always been excluded by his colleagues due to his excessive integrity and righteousness. He was even at odds with Fang Chengpeng, the governor of Jiangnan, and there were many quarrels between the two, involving the local private salt trade. The underground salt trading was rampant in the Jingzhou area, with collusion between local big salt merchants and officials. The interest network behind it was intricate. Du Tingzhong might have been the only one standing outside the network, but in the end, he failed to escape the fate of being swallowed up by this net.
“Salt administration.” He Huailing murmured these two words in a low voice, his gaze growing even deeper.
Eastern Palace.
Wang Jiu carefully presented a wooden box to Zhu Yunjing, opening the lid to reveal a row of three black pills lying inside. Zhu Yunjing raised his eyebrows. Wang Jiu smiled obsequiously: “Your Highness, this is what you asked for, that Sheng...shengziwan.”
Zhu Yunjing’s slender fingers, covered by a handkerchief, picked up one pill and examined it carefully. There was no difference between it and the medicines that were next to it. But this one was the miraculous fertility pill that could make a man conceive against nature.
The fertility pill has been available since the founding of this dynasty. The founding emperor, who favoured male consorts, had only one male consort in the harem. In order to extend the country, after the Emperor exhausted all his efforts, he finally obtained the pill concocted by the divine doctor from the southern frontier, which was both a medicinal pill and a charm to conceive a child. When a man consumed it in water and engaged in intimate relations with another man, he could conceive. One pill could only give birth to one child, and its effects were extremely domineering. Once conceived, abortion was not an option, otherwise it would kill both lives. The suffering of conceiving during the ten-month process was far more than a hundred times that of ordinary women.”
Because of this, the imperial court issued a strict order to prevent private fertility drug trading. They were all assigned by the government. Only with a marriage certificate could one apply for pills at the government office. Of course, it was still very easy for the Crown Prince to obtain a few pills.
Zhu Yunjing put the medicine back in his hand, and asked Wang Jiu, “How is this pill used?”
“It can be dissolved in water and taken orally. It is colorless and odourless, so it won’t be noticeable.”
Zhu Yunjing snorted: “Giving him a chance to give Gu a son is like emitting green smoke from his ancestral grave. He should be grateful to Gu.”
Wang Jiu took the opportunity to flatter: “Your Highness is absolutely right.”
Two days ago, Xu Shixian couldn’t sit still any longer and sent someone to send a message, requesting to see Zhu Yunjing. Zhu Yunjing knew that he was finally in a hurry. But Zhu Yunjing was not hurrying. He didn’t want to see Xu Shixian’s appearance of being forced into prostitution. He just wanted to severely break Xu Shixian’s strength of character and make him lower his arrogant head.
To submit himself to another man and bear his child would be a fatal blow to a noble person like Xu Shixian. Zhu Yunjing felt excited just thinking about it, and couldn’t wait to see Xu Shixian kneeling down, begging for mercy and crying bitterly. If Xu Shixian had been more sincere, he might have shown mercy and allowed him to give birth to the child, otherwise, Xu Shixian shouldn’t blame him for being too cruel.
Seeing that Zhu Yunjing was in a good mood, Wang Jiu asked him in a low voice, “Your Highness… Do you know what to do?”
Zhu Yunjing squinted at him and said: “Gu doesn’t know. Could it be that you, a eunuch, know?”
Wang Jiu smiled awkwardly: “This servant is just concerned… How about this servant find two good ones to let you practice with first?”
“Put away your petty thoughts,” Zhu Yunjing said coldly. “Don’t think Gu doesn’t know what you’re plotting. How many benefits have those people outside given you? Are you going to help them remember Gu’s bed?”
“This servant dares not!” Wang Jiu knelt down in sweat and pleaded guilty. “This servant just thought Your Highness was seventeen. A few days ago, the Empress Dowager called this servant to ask. She said that the Second Highness’s palace had several attendants, but here, Your Highness has no one to serve you closely…”
“Enough,” Zhu Yunjing interrupted him impatiently, “Gu knows it well. Go and find some picture books for Gu to look at before Gu decides.”
Wang Jiu wiped cold sweat from his forehead, and retreated in response.
Zhu Yunjing felt unhappy. He really had nowhere to express his hidden troubles. When he was only twelve years old, the Empress Dowager wanted to introduce him to more mature experiences. She pointed out two palace maids who were around eighteen or nineteen years old. Those two were also bold, which he did not know before. They dared to sneak into his bed while he was asleep, wearing only thin veils. Zhu Yunjing woke up in fright and immediately asked someone to throw them out. Since then, every time he thought of their fair, naked bodies and the tangy scent of powder, he felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t want people to get close anymore, and he even lost interest in those beautiful girls.
Of course Zhu Yunjing would never admit it, nor did he ever consider marrying a man. Those women made him uncomfortable because of their lowly backgrounds. In the future, his princess will definitely be a noblewoman from a prestigious family. No one else could compare.
Wang Jiu brought what Zhu Yunjing wanted in less than half a day, presenting it to Zhu Yunjing with both hands. Zhu Yunjing flipped through it casually, but all he saw were those unbearable images. The impact was too strong. Instantly, Zhu Yunjing’s face turned bright red, and he threw the Atlas back at Wang Jiu: “What is it? It’s disgraceful!
Wang Jiu said helplessly, “Your Highness, this Dunlun book is like this.”
Zhu Yunjing kicked him: “Do you have experience? Have you ever done it? Weren’t you castrated at the age of six?”
“The servant has never eaten pork, but has seen pigs running…”
“Where have you seen the pigs running?” Zhu Yunjing doubted. “Didn’t you always follow Gu to serve?”
Wang Jiu frowned and lowered his voice, saying: “There is something I have never told you, Your Highness. More than three years ago, you went hunting with His Majesty. This servant was not feeling well and couldn’t serve you during that time. This servant was sent to another palace, and one day, this servant accidentally saw Concubine He and Prince Qi engaging in an illicit affair in the summer palace…”
Zhu Yunjing glared at Wang Jiu fiercely: “Why didn’t I hear you at that time?”
Wang Jiu explained with embarrassment:
“The servant was sick and confused at the time, and I couldn’t talk about it and I couldn’t tell anyone what I saw, otherwise, I’d lose my mind. After I recovered, I… I forgot.”
Zhu Yunjing kicked him again, feeling resentful that iron could not be made into steel. Three years ago, There was indeed a period of time when Wang Jiu was seriously ill. According to the palace rules, severely ill palace maids were dispatched to other palaces. If they managed to survive, they could come back. It was better to die in another palace than in the main palace if they couldn’t make it through. Wang Jiu was the lucky one who returned from death’s gate. Zhu Yunjing was magnanimous and sent someone to send him a lot of good medicine so that he could recover. It was just that he didn’t expect Wang Jiu to recover from illness but forget such an important thing.
Maybe he didn’t really forget, but rather subconsciously dared not remember. This kind of palace matter, if spoken out, would only lead to one outcome: death. Now that the imperial concubine had passed away long ago, so he dared to mention it in front of Zhu Yunjing without proof of death.
“Prince Qi?” Zhu Yunjing narrowed his eyes, contemplating the matter. Prince Qi was the brother of Emperor Zhaoyang, the famous absurd idle king in the capital. But twenty years ago, he was not idle at all. Prince Qi was the son of the late emperor’s favourite concubine. As the late emperor had no legitimate heir, Prince Qi was the most powerful contender for the Crown Prince position. After Emperor Zhaoyang ascended the throne, He had been criticized for being improper. There are rumors that the late emperor originally chose Prince Qi, but it was Emperor Zhaoyang who changed the edict. Of course, only Emperor Zhaoyang himself knew what the truth was. However, Prince Qi managed to live a peaceful life in the capital for the past twenty years, thanks to Emperor Zhaoyang’s benevolence.
It remained unknown how Emperor Zhaoyang would feel upon learning that his most beloved Concubine He had engaged in an affair with someone else. The corners of Zhu Yunjing’s lips curled slightly. Unfortunately, he had no evidence, and the imperial concubine was already dead. Therefore, it would be difficult to dig up these old matters any further.
“Forget about that,” Zhu Yunjing told Wang Jiu. “Gu has already informed Father Emperor. Gu will leave the palace the day after tomorrow and stay at Zhuangzi for a few days. Take care of the arrangements over there.”
Wang Jiu quickly responded: “Yes, Your Highness, please rest assured. This servant will ensure everything goes smoothly.”
The author has something to say:
When writing this chapter, I kept thinking about what would happen if only half of this medicine was consumed… In fact, it would be more appropriate to swallow the whole pill. But for the sake of the subsequent development of the story, let’s just leave it at that. Uh, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is about to face the consequences of his actions.
Oh my glob, the baby is almost in that belly. I am so excited, I thought it was going to be waaaaay ahead, but I’m not complaining!
Thank You for the chapter (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
thank you for the chapter! this story is soooo interesting for someone that’s easily bored like me!
accidentally reply! sorry 😀
I love when characters meet consequences. Thanks for the translation!
Oohhh my gosh! Who wants to explain to the emperor that the reason there’s no interest in a crown princess is because the dowager had the crown prince molested and terrified as a child 😮. Maybe nobody would care, in that environment 😕