parentshiftbook Chapter 294 Chen Xing's Alertness
Chapter 294 Chen Xing's Alertness
The fourth year of the Qiming era, the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. A night of full moon.
The lights in the Wenhua Hall stayed on until the third watch of the night.
Chen Xing sat alone at his desk, three secret reports laid out before him. One, from Jia Wen, detailed the discussions among court officials over the past six months regarding the prince, including the time, place, people, and even the original text of some conversations. Another, from the Censorate, listed the backgrounds of those involved in these discussions, their connections, and any possible transfer of benefits. The third, written by Murong Mingyue herself, recorded some recent anomalies in the harem—which imperial concubine had suddenly shown concern for the second prince's studies, which noblewoman had lingered in the palace for half an hour longer than usual, and which palace maid had overheard something she shouldn't have.
Three secret reports all pointed in the same direction.
Crown Prince.
Chen Xing tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his gaze fixed on the list of personnel. Zhang Lian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites; Zhou Yan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; Wang Gui, Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices… Some of these names were familiar to him, while others were only vaguely remembered. They came from different backgrounds and had different resumes, but at this moment, they were connected by the same thread.
At the other end of the line was the prince.
His sons.
Chen Xing closed his eyes, and the faces of the three children appeared in his mind. Chen Qi, nine years old, was calm and reserved, studied hard, and occasionally showed deep thoughts that were not in line with his age; Chen Heng, seven years old, was intelligent and quick-witted, and Su Xiaoxiao often complained that he was too naughty; Chen Ke, three years old, was still ignorant and only knew how to snuggle in Lan Fenghuang's arms and listen to stories.
They are all good kids.
But those who are watching them are not necessarily good people.
Chen Xing opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening.
He recalled the question he had pondered on the eve of his coronation, standing alone outside the Ganlu Hall, gazing at the starry sky: how to avoid the tragedy of princes vying for the throne throughout history.
At that time, he thought he had time. The princes were still young; he could teach them slowly, establish rules gradually, and cultivate their relationship. When they grew up, they would naturally understand the importance of brotherly harmony.
But now it seems that some people are not giving him that time.
On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Chen Xing summoned Jia Wen for a private meeting.
"How's the investigation going?"
Jia Wen took out a new secret report from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
"Your Majesty, as I investigated those people further down the line, I discovered something interesting."
Chen Xing took it and flipped through the pages one by one.
Zhang Lian, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites, appears to be neutral, but his son-in-law is a distant cousin of Zhou Yan, the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Zhou Yan had met privately several times last year with officials from Jiangnan who came to the capital to report on their duties; several of these officials were fellow townsmen of those involved in the Yangzhou salt scandal. Wang Gui, the vice minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was tutored by a former official. This official had a student who now served as an official in Jiangnan—the very place where a small-scale civil unrest had occurred during this year's autumn harvest.
The clues, seemingly scattered, all subtly point in the same direction.
Chen Xing looked up at Jia Wen.
"You mean, these people have someone backing them?"
Jia Wen nodded, then shook his head.
"I dare not say for sure that there are individuals involved. But I am certain that these people are not acting in isolation. They may not have a unified command, but they share a common interest—to bet on the future crown prince."
He paused, then continued:
"Your Majesty, the struggle for the crown prince is never just a matter for a few princes. It involves the future, families, and even lives of countless people. Those who place bets are not necessarily bad people. They are just... afraid of choosing the wrong side."
Chen Xing remained silent for a long time.
"I was afraid of choosing the wrong side," he said slowly, "so I placed my bets in advance, made arrangements in advance, and turned my sons into chips in their hands."
Jia Wen lowered his head, not daring to reply.
Chen Xing stood up and walked to the window. The moonlight outside was like water, spilling into the courtyard of Wenhua Hall, casting a cool and clear glow.
"Prime Minister Jia," he suddenly asked, "what do you think I should do?"
Jia Wen pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not speak rashly. But I believe this matter should be considered at a long time. The princes are still young, and the matter of the crown prince is not urgent. The most urgent task is to let those who are restless know that His Majesty is watching them."
Chen Xing turned around.
"You mean, to scare the tiger by striking the mountain?"
Jia Wen nodded.
"Your Majesty could find a pretext to punish one or two of the most vocal individuals. There's no need for a major conflict; simply let them know that Your Majesty is aware of the situation. Smart people will naturally restrain themselves."
Chen Xing looked at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
"Prime Minister Jia, you're getting better and better at handling things."
Jia Wen bowed deeply: "Your subject dares not."
On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, something happened at the court assembly.
Zhang Lian, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites, was arrested in court and taken to the imperial prison for interrogation on charges of "making irresponsible remarks about state affairs and forming cliques for personal gain." The imperial edict stated that Zhang Lian had repeatedly spread remarks detrimental to the stability of the court in private, maintained close ties with several officials, and was suspected of forming cliques.
When Zhang Lian was taken away, his face was deathly pale, his whole body was trembling, and he didn't even have the strength to shout "I'm innocent!"
The court was silent. Many people lowered their heads, not daring to meet the gaze of the emperor on the throne.
Zhou Yan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, trembled slightly. Wang Gui, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was as white as paper.
Chen Xing sat upright on his throne, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd, and slowly spoke:
"I know what some of you are thinking. I also know what some of you are doing behind my back."
The hall was completely silent.
"I don't want to investigate. I'm giving you a chance."
He paused, his voice turning somber.
"But let me make this clear first—the princes are still young, and I am still young. I will make my own decisions regarding the heir apparent. Anyone who oversteps their bounds and interferes where they shouldn't will not be held accountable for past favors."
After saying that, he stood up, turned around and left.
The court session adjourned. The officials filed out, none daring to whisper to each other.
As Zhou Yan stepped out of the main hall, his legs buckled, and he nearly fell. Someone beside him steadied him, and when he looked up, he saw it was Wang Gui who had supported him. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thing in each other's eyes—
fear.
On the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, Chen Xing summoned the three princes to the Wenhua Hall.
Chen Qi, Chen Heng, and Chen Ke stood side by side, the youngest of them sandwiched between his older brothers, fidgeting nervously.
Chen Xing looked at them, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked:
"Do you know why I summoned you here today?"
Chen Qi thought for a moment and said, "Your subject does not know."
Chen Heng blinked and asked, "Does Father miss us?"
Chen Ke imitated his brother, saying, "I...I've thought about it."
Chen Xing shook his head and pointed to the three secret reports on the table.
"Because of these."
The three children crowded around, looking at the secret reports. Chen Qi understood them, and his face paled slightly; Chen Heng didn't quite understand them, but vaguely knew they weren't good news; Chen Ke couldn't understand them at all, and just curiously poked at the papers.
Chen Xing said, "Someone wants to get something from you. Someone wants to turn you into bargaining chips in their hands."
He looked at Chen Qi.
"Qi'er, do you know what this means?"
Chen Qi was silent for a moment, then said, "It means... someone wants to turn my son and my brothers into enemies."
Chen Xing nodded.
"Yes. They want you to fight, to snatch, to distrust and be wary of each other. Only in this way can they profit from it."
He paused, then looked at his three sons.
"But I tell you—you are brothers, not enemies. This empire was conquered by me. Whoever inherits it in the future will be my son. The victors must treat the losers well; the losers must accept the victors' merits. I will never allow mutual slaughter."
The three children listened, some understanding and some not, but all felt the weight of their father's words.
Chen Qi was the first to kneel down.
"Your subject will remember your father's teachings."
Chen Heng then knelt down.
Seeing his older brothers kneeling, Chen Ke knelt down as well, and said in a childish voice:
"Your subject... Your subject remembers too."
Chen Xing looked at them, his gaze softening.
"Get up. Remember what I said today. In the future, whatever happens, think about what I said today first."
The three children stood up. Chen Ke suddenly ran over and hugged Chen Xing's leg.
"Father, I don't want to be enemies with my brothers. I want to play with them."
Chen Xing was stunned for a moment, then bent down and picked him up.
"Alright. You all have fun. If anyone dares to stop you, I'll deal with them."
Chen Ke smiled happily.
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year.
It snowed again in Chang'an. Snowflakes fluttered down, landing on the glazed tiles of Taiji Palace, in the courtyard of Wenhua Hall, and in the hands of the three princes who were building a snowman.
Chen Qi and Chen Heng, along with Chen Ke, built a snowman in an open space in the inner palace. Chen Ke was in charge of rolling snowballs, getting covered in snow but laughing happily. Chen Qi and Chen Heng divided the work: one was responsible for building the body, and the other was responsible for finding branches for the arms.
Murong Mingyue, Su Xiaoxiao, Lin Wan'er, and Lan Fenghuang stood not far away, watching the three children play.
"Your Majesty," Su Xiaoxiao said softly, "Do you think they can really continue like this?"
Murong Mingyue gazed at the figures in the snow, remained silent for a moment, and then said:
"able."
Lin Wan'er nodded: "With His Majesty here, it's possible."
Blue Phoenix blinked, then suddenly smiled.
"If they dare to fight, I'll use my Gu worms to bite them. I'll bite each of them, and see if they dare to fight again."
All three of them were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.
In the distance, the snowball Chen Ke had built rolled too fast and crashed into Chen Heng, causing him to tumble. Chen Heng got up, not angry at all, but instead grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Chen Ke. Chen Ke was hit in the face with snow, paused for a moment, then chuckled and grabbed some snow to throw at Chen Heng in return.
Chen Qi stood aside, watching his two younger brothers have a snowball fight, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of the Wenhua Hall.
There, the lights were on.