Chapter 50: Prince Chu Rushes Back from the Drill Ground Outside the Palace Despite His Torn Sleeve
“Just like today,” Qiushuang said with a gentle smile as she carefully sat beside Su Yingxue to style her hair, “Prince Chu’s sleeve was clearly torn, yet he didn’t return to the palace to change his clothes. Instead, upon hearing that you had awakened, he hurried back directly from the drill ground outside the palace to see you. This shows, Your Highness, that Prince Chu still cares deeply for you.”
Given that Her Highness had just recovered from a serious illness, Qiushuang knew that no matter how busy His Majesty was with state affairs, he would inevitably find time to visit her today.
“Today, I shall style a simple hair bun for Her Highness the Eldest Princess and adorn it with the magnolia hairpin His Majesty gifted you last year!” Qiushuang suggested. “They say it’s made of Qin Tian white jade, a tribute from the Qin family. Such white jade hairpins have become rare among noble families nowadays. The one from His Majesty is flawless and of superior quality—elegant yet dignified when worn by Your Highness. What do you think?”
Qiushuang retrieved the white jade hairpin from the dressing case, secured it in Su Yingxue’s hair, and handed her the bronze mirror to see the result.
Su Yingxue observed that Qiushuang’s skilled hands had indeed worked wonders—her complexion appeared healthier, devoid of the pallor and dark circles typical after a severe illness. The understated elegance of the style suited her perfectly, striking a balance between simplicity and refinement.
“You’ve been very thoughtful, Qiushuang,” Su Yingxue expressed her gratitude.
“Your Highness, you’ve forgotten again—as royalty, you must not speak to a servant in such a manner,” Qiushuang sighed softly, reminding her gently. “His Majesty has always doted on you, his youngest sister, which is precisely why you must present yourself properly when attending an audience with him. Please remember the required etiquette and decorum!”
This was not only about the Eldest Princess maintaining proper royal demeanor during imperial audiences but also about reciprocating the profound affection of her elder brother, the Emperor.
Emperor Su Qinhuai was truly the only person in the entire Dasheng Royal Palace who wholeheartedly cherished and cared for her, the Eldest Princess whom others often avoided. It would be no exaggeration to call him the finest elder brother in all of Dasheng Kingdom.
Qiushuang’s words reminded Su Yingxue of how it was portrayed in the Original Work. When Zhang Susu had read the book, she marveled at Su Yingxue’s fortune in having such a doting brother.
The Original Work described how, after Chu Xingchen ascended the throne, he considered the state of Da Qi. Although the kingdom had seen improved national strength, cleaner politics, and a contented populace under his rule, the newly crowned emperor—ambitious to unify Qi and Sheng but shrewd and strategic—recognized that Da Qi, having just emerged from years of princely succession struggles and internal turmoil, needed time for its people to recover fully.
Despite Da Qi’s robust national character, vast grasslands breeding the swiftest warhorses, sharpest scimitars, and most fierce, battle-hardened soldiers, the timing was not yet optimal for launching a campaign. Thus, Chu Xingchen originally planned to delay the conquest of Sheng for a decade.
However, fresh on the throne, he faced remnants of defeated factions who emerged like petty clowns, taunting him about his past as a hostage in Da Qi where he suffered humiliation and abuse at the hands of a mere princess from Da Sheng.
They exploited the very dignity and selfhood Chu Xingchen had sacrificed—enduring disgrace for his ministers, his people, the entire Great Qi Dynasty, the Great Qi Royal Palace, and all under Da Qi’s heavens—in exchange for the kingdom’s stability.
Now, however, these foolish and stubbornly pedantic officials, who fail to recognize the situation, wield it as a sharp sword to strike at him.
Both publicly and privately, serving as the Hostage Prince in Dasheng was an act of righteousness for which the entire Great Qi Dynasty owed Chu Xingchen a debt of gratitude.
Yet now, in the eyes of these incompetent, self-righteous, and pedantic censors and old ministers, it is seen as a sign of weakness and disgrace. They believe that Chu Xingchen, having been a hostage and humiliated by the Sheng people, is a disgrace to the entire Great Qi Dynasty.
These people view the ascension of a prince who was once a hostage to the throne of Great Qi as a tragedy and a humiliation for the dynasty.
Chu Xingchen is unaware that those who fixate on his past, pointing fingers and criticizing, fail to see that he now holds immense power—commanding military, political, and palace authority. He is no longer the powerless child, Chu Xingchen, who was once driven out of the Great Qi Dynasty like a dog by these very courtiers and old ministers.
Thus, as the new emperor of Great Qi, Chu Xingchen urgently needs an event that can, at the very least, minimize the impact of his time as a hostage, to placate the stubborn, self-righteous hearts of those old ministers, censors, and high-ranking officials.
Therefore, Chu Xingchen first wrote a letter expressing hope for friendly relations between the two nations, using the formalities befitting an emperor.
In his measured words, Chu Xingchen, with the dignity of the Qi Emperor, offered hundreds of thousands of cattle, horses, and several chests of gold and silk. He demanded that, to foster goodwill between the two nations and prevent conflict for their people, the Sheng Emperor hand over the primary culprit of the past humiliation—the Eldest Princess Su Yingxue—along with several leading palace attendants, to be transferred to the Qi State palace for punishment, thereby resolving the hostilities between the two countries.
Chu Xingchen knew he needed a reasonable opportunity to take action, to establish his authority before the Qi courtiers, while also avoiding immediate conflict with Dasheng. Handing over a mere Eldest Princess in exchange for peace, a ceasefire, and a decade of recuperation—any wise ruler would agree.
Chu Xingchen was aware that the Sheng Kingdom at that time remained powerful. For centuries, Sheng had been recognized by neighboring nations as a great and enduring power, a land of propriety and culture.
But how many times had the seas turned to mulberry fields over a hundred years? How much more so for a vast nation, which had gradually declined under the dominance of powerful aristocratic families, leaving those of humble background with no hope of serving their country.
The people suffered under the tyranny of the great families, while the monarch struggled as these families amassed vast estates and luxurious mansions. Their influence and prosperity permeated the court and the countryside, and their wealth exempted them from taxation. The national treasury gradually emptied, and the emperor’s power was eroded and hollowed out by these families.
The once-mighty nation had risen because of these aristocratic families, and it was now declining because of them. Yet, a centipede does not topple even in death. Moreover, the Da Sheng Kingdom had long been a model for other nations in learning propriety and literature.
Even as it quietly declined, its strength and influence could not be underestimated.
Now, Great Qi was on the rise. Chu Xingchen knew that Qi, with its vast territory and brave, skilled soldiers, was a nation born on horseback, its military prowess already formidable.
Across the entire continent, the only nation with territory and population comparable to Sheng was Great Qi. Thus, since ancient times, the two nations had frequently clashed, alternating between war and peace, peace and war. Yet, neither had ever produced a wise ruler capable of unifying the realm.
If they waited another ten years, this war would be won more easily. Launching an attack now was feasible, but it would still require several more years of struggle.
Unexpectedly, Su Qinhuai refused.
Su Qinhuai righteously refused.
Standing in the council hall before the full assembly of Dasheng Chaotang’s civil and military officials, Su Qinhuai indignantly threw Chu Xingchen’s letter of goodwill onto the ground.
In the Hall of Flowing Gold, Su Qinhuai, clad in a dragon robe, sat solemnly upon the gilded dragon throne. Facing a group of court ministers, he erupted in fury and rebuked, “I am the sovereign of the Da Sheng Guo Du, a nation of immense power and enduring legacy, a grand kingdom destined for centuries. How could a mere newly enthroned ruler from the southern barbarian borderlands understand propriety? How could he comprehend governance?”