The moment these words were said, all the people behind the screen turned to look at Madam Wei in unison. Madam Wei’s face became even paler; she had indeed doctored these accounts. She had done it in preparation for the division of family assets next spring. What was strange to her, however, was how Cheng Xiuru knew the previous years’ figures in the account books.
“Shizi’s dowry alone cost 40,000 taels. It’s not the end of the year, so the country estates and shops haven’t sent in their revenue as yet. Of course it will be less,” Madam Wei said coldly. She took a deep breath.
Cheng Xiuru took out the account books that the paternal Second Aunt had brought to Lou Jing. “This account book also contains records from that autumn,” he said.
When Madam Wei heard that Lou Jing had got his hands on the previous years’ accounts, she immediately knew that this must’ve been the paternal Second Aunt’s handiwork, and she glared fiercely at her.
“Furen, you didn’t count those silver ingots as your own dowry, did you?” the paternal Second Aunt retorted. She was already displeased that her husband’s share of the family assets had been reduced, and now that she knew that Madam Wei had also taken so many taels of silver for her own use, she couldn’t help feeling even angrier. She refused to give in, and glared back with a vengeance.
“You…” Madam Wei really hated it when people brought up the issue of her dowry. The Yongning Bo residence had been in decline for many generations, and her dowry was not even ten percent of what Lou Jing’s mother’s had been. These two concubines had always looked down on her and jeered at her for this reason.
The paternal Second and Third Uncles were very incensed by Madam Wei’s attempt to lessen their share. The Second Uncle Lou Jianzhang spoke up, frowning. “Big Brother, we are blood brothers, and you’re the eldest legitimate son. You already are entitled to two shares of the assets. How could you still want to take more from us when we each only have one share?” he said, peeved.
Lou Jianyu felt extremely embarrassed. He ordered his accountant to check over the accounts right then and there with Cheng Xiuru. “Check the numbers right now! We’ll see who is the one who stole money from the main residence’s accounts!” he said.
The moment he said this, a servant’s high-pitched scream came from behind the screen. “FUREN!” she screamed. Madam Wei had suddenly fainted. The head maidservant next to her quickly held on to her to break her fall.
“Guogong Ye, the furen has fainted!” the young maid shouted, nearly in tears.
The maternal First Aunt stood up to check on Madam Wei. “Gu Ye, I think it may be best to call an Imperial Physician over immediately,” she said.
“Nn… hng…” Madam Wei moaned weakly as she woke up.
“Escort the furen back to her room to rest,” Lou Jianyu said. He did not seem to have any intention of calling for the Imperial Physician. Madam Wei was pregnant, and if the Imperial Physician took her pulse, her pregnancy would certainly be exposed.
Meanwhile, everyone present immediately re-evaluated their assessment of the furen’s importance to the Anguo Gong. They didn’t know about her pregnancy, and thought that she couldn’t be very important to him if he refused to call the Imperial Physician when she had fainted.
Tallying the accounts didn’t take long; all Cheng Xiuru had to do was to compare the total amounts. It was true that Lou Jing’s dowry had set the main residence back by forty thousand taels, but as to the remaining twenty thousand taels, a large percentage had been recorded as the expenses of farms and shops that were no longer in operation. Lou Jianyu’s face reddened with embarrassment, and he angrily threw down the account book in his hand.
Now that the main residence’s accounts were in order, they could start the division proper.
Cheng Xiuru had prepared everything in advance. Other than the tribute fields and the generational assets, he had looked into every last detail of the family’s assets, such as which country estates often had good harvests, and which shops were profitable.
“This subordinate has done the calculations. Although these assets don’t make up thirty percent, these are all assets situated near the Capital…” Cheng Xiuru pulled out a small notebook from his clothes and gave this to Lou Jing for his consideration.
From the way Lou Jing and Cheng Xiuru behaved, it was obvious to Lou Jianyu that they had come prepared. It must’ve always been their intent to ask for thirty percent even before the discussion began! Lou Jianyu was so angry that he started trembling. “I am the one who decides how the assets are to be divided! You don’t get to cherry pick which assets you want!” he bit out.
“Father, I think you may be mistaken,” Lou Jing said, smiling disarmingly as he passed the notebook to Lou Jianyu. “I asked Mr Cheng to pick these not because they had the best profits or harvest, but because they’re near to the Capital. As you know, I will be living in the Imperial Palace most of the time, and it’s difficult for me to manage assets that are situated far away.”
Pc atf Pwqfglji Vaevs, atf Jtecvf Swqfgbg jcv atf Zlclrafg bo atf Ofoa kfgf ralii vlrmerrlcu ktja cjwf ab ulnf atf Jgbkc Uglcmf’r cfk qffgjuf.
A Qinwang’s peerage name usually followed the name of his fief, or was very closely related to the name of his fief. For example, Jinzhou’s Wang was called Jin Wang, and Shu Wang governed the Shu Territories. There were also those like the Second Prince, Xiao Chengjin, who didn’t have a fief, but because he lived in Jingyi Mountain most of the time for health reasons, was called Jing Wang.
After Xiao Chengjun was demoted to a Qinwang, his peerage name effectively decided where his fief would be.
“The Lingnan Hou will be back in the Capital next month, and the Southeastern border will be left unguarded when he returns,” Zhao Duan said, watching the Emperor’s mood carefully. Seeing that the Emperor didn’t have any reaction to this, he continued to speak. “Why don’t we appoint him as Min Wang?”
The Chunde Emperor froze for a bit, then frowned. His original intention in taking back the Lingnan Hou’s military power was to weaken the Empress’ maternal family, and thereby suppress the Crown Prince’s influence. However, now that he was about to depose the Crown Prince, that move had been rendered meaningless. In fact, the Southeastern border was often attacked by pirates, and if there wasn’t anyone keeping a close eye on things there, it was really a disaster waiting to happen. It was most appropriate to put Xiao Chengjun there to watch over things.
“Ktf Vbeatfjrafgc ybgvfg lr nfgs ojg jkjs. Ktf jgfj lrc’a ofgalif, jcv atfgf jgfc’a wjcs qfbqif ktb mtbbrf ab ilnf atfgf…” atf Jtecvf Swqfgbg rjlv, uelia yelivlcu lc tlr tfjga jujlc.
“If area isn’t fertile, you can just give him a larger area,” Zhao Duan said, his eyes lowered respectfully.
The Chunde Emperor sighed, then nodded slowly.
“Does your Majesty wish to formalize the edict now?” Zhao Duan asked in a measured tone. His calm expression showed none of the anxiety he felt; the hands hidden in his sleeves were sweating bullets. This matter absolutely could not be delayed. He knew this Emperor all too well; he was as fickle as the winds, and it was entirely possible that someone would say something to him tonight that would change his mind. The Chunde Emperor’s beloved Consort Chen Guifei, for example, was one such person; one never knew what ideas she would put into the Emperor’s head after a night in the Fengyi Palace.
“Pass my decree!” the Chunde Emperor said, unusually decisive for once. He waved his hand, indicating that the Minister of the Left could start drafting the Imperial edict right then and there.
In the Anguo Gong residence, the discussions between Lou Jianyu and Lou Jing dragged on until noon as they disagreed over which shops and fields Lou Jing could have as his share of the family assets. They finally reached a compromise, and the butler started setting out food on the table thereafter. Lou Jianyu didn’t have any appetite any more, but Lou Jing ate with great gusto, and even asked for an extra bowl of rice.
“Lingnan is famous for its lychees, tea and wine,” the maternal First Aunt said. They had finished lunch, and had all sat down to drink tea as they waited for Cheng Xiuru to make a copy of the account books. “Every year, when the lychees ripen, my chefs will use them in their cooking. Fresh lychees fried with tender meat – it’s truly divine.”
“I’ve heard that Lingnan’s lychees are really delicious. It’s too bad that they have to be eaten in a day after being plucked. Those who live in the Capital, like us, will probably never get to taste it in our lifetimes,” the paternal Second Aunt sighed. She was born into a good family and knew about such things.
“Well, they can actually keep for about two days if you immerse them in water,” the maternal First Aunt said, smiling lightly. She started talking again about the scenery and plants in Lingnan, and the paternal Second and Third Aunts all looked at her with envy in their eyes. Wives of noblemen based in the Capital would never be able to travel far from the Capital. The Pingjiang Hou furen was able to follow her husband as he went to wage war in Lingnan, and as such had seen and experienced far more than they ever would.
“Jiujiu, didn’t you say you’d bring a jar of lychee wine for me?” Lou Jing said, smiling at his Uncle. He heard the mention of lychees in the conversation taking place behind the screen and was reminded of this.
“I forgot to give it to you yesterday,” Xu Che said. He couldn’t help smiling as he looked at this nephew who was shamelessly asking him for things. “I know you like it, so I brought two big jars over. Remember to give some to the Empress.”
“Wow, Second Uncle, I never knew you to be an observer of these formalities,” Lou Jing teased, grinning. His Second Uncle had remained unmarried all these years, choosing to spend his time fighting the Southern Barbarians and catching mountain bandits instead. It was a surprise to Lou Jing that he even knew any etiquette at all.
“I was thinking that the Empress grew up in the Southeastern parts of the empire, and would probably like lychee wine,” the Second Uncle mumbled, his eyes lowered.
Lou Jing raised an eyebrow. That was probably true. The Lingnan Hou guarded the Southeastern border, and Ji Zhuo should have spent his youth in the Southeast. Giving some lychee wine to the Empress was indeed a good idea.
Lou Jing’s primary purpose in returning home today was to crystallise the share of assets he was entitled to, and have the Third Old Master bear witness to this. As to the minutiae of matching up the figures and the actual transfer of ownership, he intended to get these done over the next few days.
After copying the list and writing out the official document, Lou Jing instructed Le Xian to personally make a trip to the government office in the Capital so as to get an official seal stamped on the document. Once the government official there heard that this concerned the Crown Prince Consort’s affairs, he attended to it immediately. Le Xian was back with the sealed documents in less than four hours.
This big family issue had been settled in less than a day. Lou Jing’s swift and incisive action did not go unnoticed by the Lou family, and they couldn’t help but look at him with newfound fear and respect after this.
At sunset, Lou Jing made his way back to the Eastern Palace in high spirits.
It was around the time that dinner was usually served in the palace by the time Lou Jing reached the Eastern Palace. He heard that the Crown Prince was still in Chongren Chambers, and had even left instructions for him to not wait for him and start eating dinner first. Lou Jing raised his brows on hearing this. He filled a teapot with lychee wine, then headed off to look for his husband.
“The edict is drafted. Dianxia’s title will be Min Wang, and it will be proclaimed at tomorrow morning’s Court session,” Cai Yi said to Xiao Chengjun, pointing at the “Min” word on the table.
Xiao Chengjun nodded slightly. “Let Yang Youting post you into one of the six ministries,” he said. The Minister of Personnel, Yang Youting, was Cai Yi’s uncle, and it was not a difficult matter to move him into one of the six ministries. Appointing Cai Yi as the Minister of the Crown Prince’s Affairs was just a stepping stone to greater things to begin with.
“Dianxia,” Cai Yi said, kneeling down immediately. “Chen is willing to follow Dianxia to his fief.”
Xiao Chengjun waved his hands. “I am grateful for your loyalty, but the Southeastern territories is not somewhere you should be going,” he said.
Cai Yi left Chongren Chambers with a heavy heart. When he looked up, he saw the Crown Prince Consort standing at the entrance, and he felt an ominous, swooping sensation in his stomach. In the Eastern Palace, nobody would stop the Crown Prince Consort from going anywhere or standing anywhere. He didn’t know how long Lou Jing had been standing there, and how much of their conversation he had heard.
“Lord Cai,” Lou Jing said, smiling in a manner that gave nothing away.
Every time Cai Yi came into contact with this Crown Prince Consort, he always felt a queer sense of imminent danger. He usually didn’t dare to meet Lou Jing’s gaze, which always burned with the intensity of twin cold stars. Under these circumstances, he dared even less to meet Lou Jing’s eyes. He hurriedly bowed to Lou Jing and left.
“Why are you here?” Xiao Chengjun said, folding the paper with the word “Min” written on it and feeding it to the candle flame. He hadn’t intended to return to Bafeng Palace because he wanted to be by himself for a while, but what he didn’t expect was that his Consort would come to look for him of his own accord.
Chongren Chambers was very large and spacious. Xiao Chengjun’s figure cast long shadows in the candlelight, and made him look very lonely.
“Jiujiu gave me some lychee wine, and I thought to share a cup with Dianxia,” Lou Jing said, wiggling the white teapot in his hand. He slowly walked over to the Crown Prince’s side.
Xiao Chengjun turned around, and saw his Consort smiling faintly at him. The flickering candlelight was reflected in those beautiful, dark eyes, and he was silent for a moment. “You heard everything?” he asked.
“What did I hear?” Lou Jing said, putting down the teapot on the low table. He scooted closer to the Crown Prince. “I only listen to what Dianxia says.”
Xiao Chengjun heaved a long, deep sigh. “Father Emperor has passed an edict to depose me as the Crown Prince,” he said slowly.
Lou Jing was quiet for a long while before speaking again. “Dianxia, wasn’t this your plan all along?” he said.
Before, the Crown Prince had already said that the phoenix had to be reborn from the ashes. In saying that, the Crown Prince had already indicated to him that in the worst case scenario, he would allow the Emperor to depose him, and find another means to restart again. Things in the Imperial Court had been unstable lately, but Lou Jing had not thought that the Crown Prince would be deposed so soon.
Xiao Chengjun stared at Lou Jing, then suddenly clenched his hands into fists. “You’ve been hard done by this past month. After the edict is made public, you and I will no longer be spouses,” he said in an even tone. It seemed that he had been the only one who had thought too much about this…
Lou Jing nodded slightly. “I know,” he said in a low voice.
In the whole empire, only the Emperor and the Crown Prince were allowed to take a malw wife. Once the Crown Prince was deposed, their marriage would be invalidated. Lou Jing could go back to being the Anguo Gong’s Shizi, and inherit the peerage from Lou Jianyu. He was also free to take a wife or concubines, and have children with them. Xiao Chengjun could also take a woman as his Consort, and even if he became the Emperor in future, he did not necessarily have to marry Lou Jing again. He could choose another man.
“From today onwards, bridges will be bridges, and roads will be roads; we’ll both walk our own paths. As to the fight for the throne – I advise you not to get involved any more,” Xiao Chengjun said. He turned and placed a hand on the intricately carved dragon spiralling around a red pillar, refusing to look at Lou Jing.
The Anguo Gong was part of the Zanying high nobility, and with Lou Jing’s exceptional abilities, his family would continue to be held in high regard. No matter who eventually became the Emperor, the future Emperor would certainly have to keep Lou Jing in his camp. There was no need for Lou Jing to continue to stick by him any more. He was only a deposed Crown Prince now, after all.
Lou Jing was silent as he looked at Xiao Chengjun’s back.
“Of course, if you are willing to continue to work for me as an official, I would be most happy to have you on board. However, I want you to be clear as to what you’re getting yourself into,” Xiao Chengjun said. His breath caught in his throat after he said this. No matter what Lou Jing’s answer was, they would never have a relationship that was more than that of a Wang and his official any more.
“I thank Dianxia for his consideration,” Lou Jing said in a flat tone. He turned stiffly and headed out of the palace.
Xiao Chengjun heard Lou Jing’s footsteps move further and further away, and he closed his eyes. He felt like someone had dug out a huge piece of his heart, and he felt so empty that it hurt.
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps sounded behind him. Xiao Chengjun didn’t have time to fully turn around before someone flipped him over and pressed him onto the red pillar behind.
Xiao Chengjun grunted softly as his back smacked into the hard pillar. The moment he raised his head, his captor kissed him fiercely, pressing his head into the back of the pillar. “Mmph…” The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in surprise.
Those slightly cool lips locked tightly onto Xiao Chengjun’s warm ones, pulling and sucking as they did so. Lou Jing gripped Xiao Chengjun’s chin, forcing him to open his mouth. The sweet smell of milk immediately wrapped around Lou Jing’s tongue, and he instinctively continued to push further in. He used his tongue to explore every inch of Xiao Chengjun’s mouth, to the point where he’d licked up every last bit of the milky taste. It was only then he slowly pulled apart from Xiao Chengjun.
“You…” Xiao Chengjun said, gasping in big gulps of air. That storm of a kiss had literally taken his breath away.
Lou Jing placed a hand on the red pillar, trapping Xiao Chengjun in his arms. He used a thumb to gently trace Xiao Chengjun’s slightly swollen lips. “Dianxia deserves to be punished for trying to abandon me,” he said.
“Abandon you?” the Crown Prince asked, confounded.
“What did you promise me in the past? When you ascended the throne, you would let me decide whether to stay or leave. You haven’t even become the Emperor yet, and you’re saying you don’t want me anymore?” Lou Jing said, sounding very wronged.
“I…” Xiao Chengjun blinked in confusion, then finally understood; his Consort didn’t want to leave him! Surprise washed over him like a tidal wave, and he stared blankly at Lou Jing for a long time before heaving a long sigh. “You… why put yourself through this suffering?” he asked.
The Crown Prince’s arms hung limply from his sides, and Lou Jing took one of the Crown Prince’s tightly clenched fists in his. He massaged that fist gently, and when it opened, he placed the Crown Prince’s hand over his heart. “Before, I would have agreed with you. I would have chosen my freedom, and wouldn’t have traded that for the world. Who cares who the Emperor is? So long as I, Lou Jing, am around, I can certainly make sure my family flourishes for three generations,” he said. “However, when I think about leaving you… this part of me hurts. It hurts so badly.”
The moment these words were said, all the people behind the screen turned to look at Madam Wei in unison. Madam Wei’s face became even paler; she had indeed doctored these accounts. She had done it in preparation for the division of family assets next spring. What was strange to her, however, was how Cheng Xiuru knew the previous years’ figures in the account books.
“Shizi’s dowry alone cost 40,000 taels. It’s not the end of the year, so the country estates and shops haven’t sent in their revenue as yet. Of course it will be less,” Madam Wei said coldly. She took a deep breath.
Cheng Xiuru took out the account books that the paternal Second Aunt had brought to Lou Jing. “This account book also contains records from that autumn,” he said.
When Madam Wei heard that Lou Jing had got his hands on the previous years’ accounts, she immediately knew that this must’ve been the paternal Second Aunt’s handiwork, and she glared fiercely at her.
“Furen, you didn’t count those silver ingots as your own dowry, did you?” the paternal Second Aunt retorted. She was already displeased that her husband’s share of the family assets had been reduced, and now that she knew that Madam Wei had also taken so many taels of silver for her own use, she couldn’t help feeling even angrier. She refused to give in, and glared back with a vengeance.
“You…” Madam Wei really hated it when people brought up the issue of her dowry. The Yongning Bo residence had been in decline for many generations, and her dowry was not even ten percent of what Lou Jing’s mother’s had been. These two concubines had always looked down on her and jeered at her for this reason.
The paternal Second and Third Uncles were very incensed by Madam Wei’s attempt to lessen their share. The Second Uncle Lou Jianzhang spoke up, frowning. “Big Brother, we are blood brothers, and you’re the eldest legitimate son. You already are entitled to two shares of the assets. How could you still want to take more from us when we each only have one share?” he said, peeved.
Lou Jianyu felt extremely embarrassed. He ordered his accountant to check over the accounts right then and there with Cheng Xiuru. “Check the numbers right now! We’ll see who is the one who stole money from the main residence’s accounts!” he said.
The moment he said this, a servant’s high-pitched scream came from behind the screen. “FUREN!” she screamed. Madam Wei had suddenly fainted. The head maidservant next to her quickly held on to her to break her fall.
“Guogong Ye, the furen has fainted!” the young maid shouted, nearly in tears.
The maternal First Aunt stood up to check on Madam Wei. “Gu Ye, I think it may be best to call an Imperial Physician over immediately,” she said.
“Nn… hng…” Madam Wei moaned weakly as she woke up.
“Escort the furen back to her room to rest,” Lou Jianyu said. He did not seem to have any intention of calling for the Imperial Physician. Madam Wei was pregnant, and if the Imperial Physician took her pulse, her pregnancy would certainly be exposed.
Meanwhile, everyone present immediately re-evaluated their assessment of the furen’s importance to the Anguo Gong. They didn’t know about her pregnancy, and thought that she couldn’t be very important to him if he refused to call the Imperial Physician when she had fainted.
Tallying the accounts didn’t take long; all Cheng Xiuru had to do was to compare the total amounts. It was true that Lou Jing’s dowry had set the main residence back by forty thousand taels, but as to the remaining twenty thousand taels, a large percentage had been recorded as the expenses of farms and shops that were no longer in operation. Lou Jianyu’s face reddened with embarrassment, and he angrily threw down the account book in his hand.
Now that the main residence’s accounts were in order, they could start the division proper.
Cheng Xiuru had prepared everything in advance. Other than the tribute fields and the generational assets, he had looked into every last detail of the family’s assets, such as which country estates often had good harvests, and which shops were profitable.
“This subordinate has done the calculations. Although these assets don’t make up thirty percent, these are all assets situated near the Capital…” Cheng Xiuru pulled out a small notebook from his clothes and gave this to Lou Jing for his consideration.
From the way Lou Jing and Cheng Xiuru behaved, it was obvious to Lou Jianyu that they had come prepared. It must’ve always been their intent to ask for thirty percent even before the discussion began! Lou Jianyu was so angry that he started trembling. “I am the one who decides how the assets are to be divided! You don’t get to cherry pick which assets you want!” he bit out.
“Father, I think you may be mistaken,” Lou Jing said, smiling disarmingly as he passed the notebook to Lou Jianyu. “I asked Mr Cheng to pick these not because they had the best profits or harvest, but because they’re near to the Capital. As you know, I will be living in the Imperial Palace most of the time, and it’s difficult for me to manage assets that are situated far away.”
Pc atf Pwqfglji Vaevs, atf Jtecvf Swqfgbg jcv atf Zlclrafg bo atf Ofoa kfgf ralii vlrmerrlcu ktja cjwf ab ulnf atf Jgbkc Uglcmf’r cfk qffgjuf.
A Qinwang’s peerage name usually followed the name of his fief, or was very closely related to the name of his fief. For example, Jinzhou’s Wang was called Jin Wang, and Shu Wang governed the Shu Territories. There were also those like the Second Prince, Xiao Chengjin, who didn’t have a fief, but because he lived in Jingyi Mountain most of the time for health reasons, was called Jing Wang.
After Xiao Chengjun was demoted to a Qinwang, his peerage name effectively decided where his fief would be.
“The Lingnan Hou will be back in the Capital next month, and the Southeastern border will be left unguarded when he returns,” Zhao Duan said, watching the Emperor’s mood carefully. Seeing that the Emperor didn’t have any reaction to this, he continued to speak. “Why don’t we appoint him as Min Wang?”
The Chunde Emperor froze for a bit, then frowned. His original intention in taking back the Lingnan Hou’s military power was to weaken the Empress’ maternal family, and thereby suppress the Crown Prince’s influence. However, now that he was about to depose the Crown Prince, that move had been rendered meaningless. In fact, the Southeastern border was often attacked by pirates, and if there wasn’t anyone keeping a close eye on things there, it was really a disaster waiting to happen. It was most appropriate to put Xiao Chengjun there to watch over things.
“Ktf Vbeatfjrafgc ybgvfg lr nfgs ojg jkjs. Ktf jgfj lrc’a ofgalif, jcv atfgf jgfc’a wjcs qfbqif ktb mtbbrf ab ilnf atfgf…” atf Jtecvf Swqfgbg rjlv, uelia yelivlcu lc tlr tfjga jujlc.
“If area isn’t fertile, you can just give him a larger area,” Zhao Duan said, his eyes lowered respectfully.
The Chunde Emperor sighed, then nodded slowly.
“Does your Majesty wish to formalize the edict now?” Zhao Duan asked in a measured tone. His calm expression showed none of the anxiety he felt; the hands hidden in his sleeves were sweating bullets. This matter absolutely could not be delayed. He knew this Emperor all too well; he was as fickle as the winds, and it was entirely possible that someone would say something to him tonight that would change his mind. The Chunde Emperor’s beloved Consort Chen Guifei, for example, was one such person; one never knew what ideas she would put into the Emperor’s head after a night in the Fengyi Palace.
“Pass my decree!” the Chunde Emperor said, unusually decisive for once. He waved his hand, indicating that the Minister of the Left could start drafting the Imperial edict right then and there.
In the Anguo Gong residence, the discussions between Lou Jianyu and Lou Jing dragged on until noon as they disagreed over which shops and fields Lou Jing could have as his share of the family assets. They finally reached a compromise, and the butler started setting out food on the table thereafter. Lou Jianyu didn’t have any appetite any more, but Lou Jing ate with great gusto, and even asked for an extra bowl of rice.
“Lingnan is famous for its lychees, tea and wine,” the maternal First Aunt said. They had finished lunch, and had all sat down to drink tea as they waited for Cheng Xiuru to make a copy of the account books. “Every year, when the lychees ripen, my chefs will use them in their cooking. Fresh lychees fried with tender meat – it’s truly divine.”
“I’ve heard that Lingnan’s lychees are really delicious. It’s too bad that they have to be eaten in a day after being plucked. Those who live in the Capital, like us, will probably never get to taste it in our lifetimes,” the paternal Second Aunt sighed. She was born into a good family and knew about such things.
“Well, they can actually keep for about two days if you immerse them in water,” the maternal First Aunt said, smiling lightly. She started talking again about the scenery and plants in Lingnan, and the paternal Second and Third Aunts all looked at her with envy in their eyes. Wives of noblemen based in the Capital would never be able to travel far from the Capital. The Pingjiang Hou furen was able to follow her husband as he went to wage war in Lingnan, and as such had seen and experienced far more than they ever would.
“Jiujiu, didn’t you say you’d bring a jar of lychee wine for me?” Lou Jing said, smiling at his Uncle. He heard the mention of lychees in the conversation taking place behind the screen and was reminded of this.
“I forgot to give it to you yesterday,” Xu Che said. He couldn’t help smiling as he looked at this nephew who was shamelessly asking him for things. “I know you like it, so I brought two big jars over. Remember to give some to the Empress.”
“Wow, Second Uncle, I never knew you to be an observer of these formalities,” Lou Jing teased, grinning. His Second Uncle had remained unmarried all these years, choosing to spend his time fighting the Southern Barbarians and catching mountain bandits instead. It was a surprise to Lou Jing that he even knew any etiquette at all.
“I was thinking that the Empress grew up in the Southeastern parts of the empire, and would probably like lychee wine,” the Second Uncle mumbled, his eyes lowered.
Lou Jing raised an eyebrow. That was probably true. The Lingnan Hou guarded the Southeastern border, and Ji Zhuo should have spent his youth in the Southeast. Giving some lychee wine to the Empress was indeed a good idea.
Lou Jing’s primary purpose in returning home today was to crystallise the share of assets he was entitled to, and have the Third Old Master bear witness to this. As to the minutiae of matching up the figures and the actual transfer of ownership, he intended to get these done over the next few days.
After copying the list and writing out the official document, Lou Jing instructed Le Xian to personally make a trip to the government office in the Capital so as to get an official seal stamped on the document. Once the government official there heard that this concerned the Crown Prince Consort’s affairs, he attended to it immediately. Le Xian was back with the sealed documents in less than four hours.
This big family issue had been settled in less than a day. Lou Jing’s swift and incisive action did not go unnoticed by the Lou family, and they couldn’t help but look at him with newfound fear and respect after this.
At sunset, Lou Jing made his way back to the Eastern Palace in high spirits.
It was around the time that dinner was usually served in the palace by the time Lou Jing reached the Eastern Palace. He heard that the Crown Prince was still in Chongren Chambers, and had even left instructions for him to not wait for him and start eating dinner first. Lou Jing raised his brows on hearing this. He filled a teapot with lychee wine, then headed off to look for his husband.
“The edict is drafted. Dianxia’s title will be Min Wang, and it will be proclaimed at tomorrow morning’s Court session,” Cai Yi said to Xiao Chengjun, pointing at the “Min” word on the table.
Xiao Chengjun nodded slightly. “Let Yang Youting post you into one of the six ministries,” he said. The Minister of Personnel, Yang Youting, was Cai Yi’s uncle, and it was not a difficult matter to move him into one of the six ministries. Appointing Cai Yi as the Minister of the Crown Prince’s Affairs was just a stepping stone to greater things to begin with.
“Dianxia,” Cai Yi said, kneeling down immediately. “Chen is willing to follow Dianxia to his fief.”
Xiao Chengjun waved his hands. “I am grateful for your loyalty, but the Southeastern territories is not somewhere you should be going,” he said.
Cai Yi left Chongren Chambers with a heavy heart. When he looked up, he saw the Crown Prince Consort standing at the entrance, and he felt an ominous, swooping sensation in his stomach. In the Eastern Palace, nobody would stop the Crown Prince Consort from going anywhere or standing anywhere. He didn’t know how long Lou Jing had been standing there, and how much of their conversation he had heard.
“Lord Cai,” Lou Jing said, smiling in a manner that gave nothing away.
Every time Cai Yi came into contact with this Crown Prince Consort, he always felt a queer sense of imminent danger. He usually didn’t dare to meet Lou Jing’s gaze, which always burned with the intensity of twin cold stars. Under these circumstances, he dared even less to meet Lou Jing’s eyes. He hurriedly bowed to Lou Jing and left.
“Why are you here?” Xiao Chengjun said, folding the paper with the word “Min” written on it and feeding it to the candle flame. He hadn’t intended to return to Bafeng Palace because he wanted to be by himself for a while, but what he didn’t expect was that his Consort would come to look for him of his own accord.
Chongren Chambers was very large and spacious. Xiao Chengjun’s figure cast long shadows in the candlelight, and made him look very lonely.
“Jiujiu gave me some lychee wine, and I thought to share a cup with Dianxia,” Lou Jing said, wiggling the white teapot in his hand. He slowly walked over to the Crown Prince’s side.
Xiao Chengjun turned around, and saw his Consort smiling faintly at him. The flickering candlelight was reflected in those beautiful, dark eyes, and he was silent for a moment. “You heard everything?” he asked.
“What did I hear?” Lou Jing said, putting down the teapot on the low table. He scooted closer to the Crown Prince. “I only listen to what Dianxia says.”
Xiao Chengjun heaved a long, deep sigh. “Father Emperor has passed an edict to depose me as the Crown Prince,” he said slowly.
Lou Jing was quiet for a long while before speaking again. “Dianxia, wasn’t this your plan all along?” he said.
Before, the Crown Prince had already said that the phoenix had to be reborn from the ashes. In saying that, the Crown Prince had already indicated to him that in the worst case scenario, he would allow the Emperor to depose him, and find another means to restart again. Things in the Imperial Court had been unstable lately, but Lou Jing had not thought that the Crown Prince would be deposed so soon.
Xiao Chengjun stared at Lou Jing, then suddenly clenched his hands into fists. “You’ve been hard done by this past month. After the edict is made public, you and I will no longer be spouses,” he said in an even tone. It seemed that he had been the only one who had thought too much about this…
Lou Jing nodded slightly. “I know,” he said in a low voice.
In the whole empire, only the Emperor and the Crown Prince were allowed to take a malw wife. Once the Crown Prince was deposed, their marriage would be invalidated. Lou Jing could go back to being the Anguo Gong’s Shizi, and inherit the peerage from Lou Jianyu. He was also free to take a wife or concubines, and have children with them. Xiao Chengjun could also take a woman as his Consort, and even if he became the Emperor in future, he did not necessarily have to marry Lou Jing again. He could choose another man.
“From today onwards, bridges will be bridges, and roads will be roads; we’ll both walk our own paths. As to the fight for the throne – I advise you not to get involved any more,” Xiao Chengjun said. He turned and placed a hand on the intricately carved dragon spiralling around a red pillar, refusing to look at Lou Jing.
The Anguo Gong was part of the Zanying high nobility, and with Lou Jing’s exceptional abilities, his family would continue to be held in high regard. No matter who eventually became the Emperor, the future Emperor would certainly have to keep Lou Jing in his camp. There was no need for Lou Jing to continue to stick by him any more. He was only a deposed Crown Prince now, after all.
Lou Jing was silent as he looked at Xiao Chengjun’s back.
“Of course, if you are willing to continue to work for me as an official, I would be most happy to have you on board. However, I want you to be clear as to what you’re getting yourself into,” Xiao Chengjun said. His breath caught in his throat after he said this. No matter what Lou Jing’s answer was, they would never have a relationship that was more than that of a Wang and his official any more.
“I thank Dianxia for his consideration,” Lou Jing said in a flat tone. He turned stiffly and headed out of the palace.
Xiao Chengjun heard Lou Jing’s footsteps move further and further away, and he closed his eyes. He felt like someone had dug out a huge piece of his heart, and he felt so empty that it hurt.
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps sounded behind him. Xiao Chengjun didn’t have time to fully turn around before someone flipped him over and pressed him onto the red pillar behind.
Xiao Chengjun grunted softly as his back smacked into the hard pillar. The moment he raised his head, his captor kissed him fiercely, pressing his head into the back of the pillar. “Mmph…” The Crown Prince’s eyes widened in surprise.
Those slightly cool lips locked tightly onto Xiao Chengjun’s warm ones, pulling and sucking as they did so. Lou Jing gripped Xiao Chengjun’s chin, forcing him to open his mouth. The sweet smell of milk immediately wrapped around Lou Jing’s tongue, and he instinctively continued to push further in. He used his tongue to explore every inch of Xiao Chengjun’s mouth, to the point where he’d licked up every last bit of the milky taste. It was only then he slowly pulled apart from Xiao Chengjun.
“You…” Xiao Chengjun said, gasping in big gulps of air. That storm of a kiss had literally taken his breath away.
Lou Jing placed a hand on the red pillar, trapping Xiao Chengjun in his arms. He used a thumb to gently trace Xiao Chengjun’s slightly swollen lips. “Dianxia deserves to be punished for trying to abandon me,” he said.
“Abandon you?” the Crown Prince asked, confounded.
“What did you promise me in the past? When you ascended the throne, you would let me decide whether to stay or leave. You haven’t even become the Emperor yet, and you’re saying you don’t want me anymore?” Lou Jing said, sounding very wronged.
“I…” Xiao Chengjun blinked in confusion, then finally understood; his Consort didn’t want to leave him! Surprise washed over him like a tidal wave, and he stared blankly at Lou Jing for a long time before heaving a long sigh. “You… why put yourself through this suffering?” he asked.
The Crown Prince’s arms hung limply from his sides, and Lou Jing took one of the Crown Prince’s tightly clenched fists in his. He massaged that fist gently, and when it opened, he placed the Crown Prince’s hand over his heart. “Before, I would have agreed with you. I would have chosen my freedom, and wouldn’t have traded that for the world. Who cares who the Emperor is? So long as I, Lou Jing, am around, I can certainly make sure my family flourishes for three generations,” he said. “However, when I think about leaving you… this part of me hurts. It hurts so badly.”
