Chapter 0057: The Emperor with Ever-Changing Expressions and the Mad Literature of Consort Hua
The reporting eunuch quickly rose and presented two letters.
Emperor Jian, holding the two thick stacks of letters in his hand, finally felt much of his pent-up frustration ease. “It seems my Chengze misses me greatly, to have written so much,” he thought.
Perhaps he had sent all the letters from the past two months together? Not having received any for so long, he had started to worry the child didn’t miss his father.
Emperor Jian turned and sat back on the Dragon Throne. One letter was labeled “For His Majesty’s Personal Reading,” and the other “For His Majesty’s Eyes Only.” He eagerly opened the one marked “For His Majesty’s Personal Reading,” then his lips twitched slightly.
The handwriting was as messy as ever, just like when he was a child.
Let’s see what amusing things his little Chengze had written this time.
Leaning back on the Dragon Throne, Emperor Jian slowly deciphered the words, occasionally chuckling at what he read. This drew curious glances from the officials, who wondered what the Second Prince could have written to make the emperor, who had been furious just moments ago, laugh so heartily.
But as he read on, Emperor Jian’s expression turned serious again. He frowned slightly, lost in thought, then opened the second letter. The further he read, the deeper his frown became.
The officials’ hearts tightened once more.
What on earth had the Second Prince written? And with so many pages—what could possibly cause His Majesty’s expression to shift so unpredictably?
They stole glances at the figure on the Dragon Throne, trying to decipher the meaning behind each change. Then, Emperor Jian burst into laughter again. Finally, he asked the messenger eunuch, “When did this letter depart from Yi Province?”
The eunuch hurriedly replied, “Your Majesty, it was two months ago.”
Two months ago. That meant his little Chengze had probably already established the gunpowder factory in Yi Province.
What audacity—to act first and report later! This trip had made him even more decisive!
However, the gunpowder he mentioned in the letter seemed incredibly powerful. If it could be deployed in border conflicts, the Xiongnu would be nothing to fear!
This gift from Chengze couldn’t have come at a better time!
Emperor Jian carefully tucked the letters into his robes, then lazily waved his hand and sneered, “A bunch of useless fools—not even worth a single strand of my Chengze’s hair!”
With that, he dismissed the court and left the hall.
The officials were left utterly bewildered.
What? Not even worth a single strand of the Second Prince’s hair? What achievements has the Second Prince made? How could we be inferior to him?
Just because he wrote a letter flattering you with sweet words, we’re suddenly worthless? If we weren’t above such sycophancy, we could praise you even more extravagantly—!
…
The Jian’an Dynasty had three princesses, two of whom were of marriageable age. One was the Second Princess, Princess Anhe Xie Pingan, born to Xi Fei; the other was the Third Princess, Princess Zhaohua Xie Shu, born to Da Guiren.
Neither princess was yet betrothed. Upon hearing that the court intended to marry them off to the Xiongnu king, the two sisters clung to each other and wept in terror.
Xie Ping’an wept as if her heart were breaking, “Third Sister! As the elder sister, I should sacrifice myself for the dynasty, but I’m only nineteen! Before I could even have a passionate romance with the Tanhualang, I’m being forced to marry that old Xiongnu as a concubine—it’s unbearable!”
Two years ago, the Tanhualang had angered Second Brother and met a tragic end at the execution ground of the Noon Gate. She had been waiting for next year’s Spring Examination to pursue a dashing romance with the most handsome Tanhualang, but these damned Xiongnu had to invade the borders now, forcing the court to seek peace through marriage alliance!
Couldn’t they have invaded next year instead!
Xie Shu was also wailing miserably, wiping her tears, “Oh stop it, Second Sister! At your age, you’re perfect for an immediate marriage arrangement. Consort Xi will definitely marry you off to someone right away to avoid sending you to the Xiongnu King! Unlike me—I just turned sixteen, right in my prime blooming years—”
“Xie Shu! You’re calling me old again!” Xie Ping’an’s crying abruptly stopped as she glared in outrage.
“So what if I call you old! I’m about to be married off to the Xiongnu King and will soon die tragically on the grasslands—can’t I at least scold you a few more times? Once I’m gone, no one will scold you anymore! You should cherish this, boohoo—”
“Waaah, little sister, then keep scolding me—”
The two sisters knelt on the ground, continuing to embrace each other and weep bitterly. Beside them, Emperor Jian, who had been sitting on the stone bench in the pavilion reading a letter, massaged his forehead in exasperation.
How could he dare send these two little ancestors for marriage alliance? Most likely, the Xiongnu King would send them back in disgust the moment they arrived, or simply kill them to avoid the trouble.
“Enough of this crying. Did I ever say I was sending you for marriage alliance?” Emperor Jian said helplessly.
Xie Ping’an and Xie Shu continued weeping in each other’s arms, “Imperial Father needn’t explain. Our mothers have already said the national treasury is depleted—we can’t defeat the Xiongnu. To protect our soldiers and people, and safeguard the stability of our Jian’an Dynasty, only we can go through with the marriage alliance, boohoo—”
Emperor Jian: …Don’t fabricate, believe, or spread rumors, alright.
“Enough. I won’t send you for marriage alliance. Your Second Brother has already devised a plan to deal with the Xiongnu,” Emperor Jian tapped the stone table, sighing.
“Second Brother?” Xie Ping’an and Xie Shu immediately stopped crying, lifting their teary eyes in confusion, “You mean the one who always opposes Crown Prince in court, emptied our mother’s private savings months ago—that devastatingly handsome Second Brother?”
Emperor Jian: …”Yes, him.”
Xie Ping’an wiped her tears, skeptical, “What scheme could he possibly devise? Wait, could it be—”
Her face paled in shock as she covered her mouth, trembling all over, “Has Second Brother decided to take our place in the marriage alliance?!”
Xie Shu also jolted in disbelief, “Second Brother… cares for us so deeply?!”
In their memories, Second Brother rarely interacted with them. Living in the inner palace, they seldom encountered him, except during childhood when they climbed walls together and mistook him for a girl to play with a few times. Later, their mother dragged them home and sternly warned them never to approach Second Brother again.
They thought their relationship had grown distant, but never imagined that just a few childhood playtimes would make Second Brother cherish his two younger sisters so much—enough to make such a tremendous sacrifice—
“Waaah—” The two sisters hugged each other and burst into tears again. “Second Brother—you’ve suffered so much! It’s all because the court and our father are incompetent!”
Emperor Jian: …
Emperor Jian couldn’t help but wonder if the customs of the Jian’an Dynasty had become too liberal. Whether it was court officials or palace princesses, everyone seemed to think the Second Prince being sent for a political marriage was unexpected, yet somehow reasonable.
This is so exhausting.
At times like these, Emperor Jian missed the late Consort Hua more than ever.
If Consort Hua were still here, she would surely say: “Your Majesty, if you can’t take it anymore, just go mad! Kick all these incompetent ministers to the ground, aim for their buttocks—there’s plenty of flesh there. At least you won’t kill anyone while venting your anger.”
Ah, another day missing little Chengze.