“What a coward!” I scoffed and hid the statue I was frightened by my seventh sister-in-law too, she was generally friendly and approachable but she is the most ruthless person when she has to comprise.
“Okay! I am leaving, try to hide this matter for a few days at least,” I reminded him.
“That’s for sure!” he assured me and then whispered, “Yeah! But hurry up!”
I nodded and made my way out of the room, wondering where I would locate this woman whose name I didn’t know and whose appearance I didn’t know. It would be simpler if I went to the sixth consort and asked where she slept at my brother’s mansion, but it is perilous. Yesterday, my seventh brother revealed to me that I was hunting for a woman and that my sister-in-law would misunderstand me if I inquired about any woman anywhere in the world.
I crossed the gate and was about to sit in the carriage when I saw a delivery carriage stopping in front of Seventh’s Prince Residence, I was suspicious but noticed it was from the crown prince’s mansion, maybe they are here to send something, it was not something except that the timing was odd.
I was tired and could not care too much as I was carrying a bomb in my hand, here I drop it and the two brothers are finished.
“Let’s go back to the mansion!” I commanded.
“Your Highness, it will be time for the morning assembly in an hour, we will be late if we go back to Mansion and then attend the assembly.”
“So what? I should not get any sleep?” I was furious to hear him mention this.
“Your Highness, You moved to the most remote mansion, so that Her Majesty won’t bother, sixth prince and seventh prince built their mansions close to the Imperial Palace, now you are complaining?” he scolded me in a whispery tone with his eyes down, I could hear him, “How dare you scold me?” I was ferocious.
“Nothing, we are heading to the Mansion,” he loudly said to the guards at the back here him.
“No, let’s head to the palace, I will take rest there!” I commanded the face of my coachman lit up as he nodded.
…
“Prince Shiyi, you are very diligent. As the prime minister, I am touched.” the man in the black official outfit spoke as he held the tablet of his name and title in his hand and complimented me. Prime Minister was the oldest high-rank official serving in the Imperial court for four generations.
“It is your teaching and hard work that inspires me,” I replied with a little bow.
It was still two incense time before the gate of the great hall would happen, the officials were waiting in a queue and chatting about some trivial matters.
While the prime minister and I were seated in the side hall, a person who appeared to be from the crown prince’s Mansion stepped right up to me with a large bowl of soup on a wooden tray and two sets of serving bowls.
“What is it?” The prime minister asked curiously.
“Soup.” the eunuch replied and served us the aromatic soup.
“You seemed to be from Crown Prince’s Mansion, did he send his brother some fatigue-relieving soup?” The prime minister took a long breath and spoke in his genial voice. He then turned to me and said, “I heard those old officials kept the crown prince engaged with the tax matters late night, and then the seventh prince also discussed Welcome Ceremony till this morning,” his sympathetic voice gave me goosebumps as I remembered the broken statue.
“Replying to Your Highness’, the soup is sent by Lady Hualing for three princes,” the eunuch replied as he tempt to retreat.
“Lady who? And why?” I was stunned as I never heard of this name before and why would she send soup to the prince, she was not someone close, and how was she allowed to do so?
“Your Highness, Lady Hualing was worried that staying up late would affect the noble health, she especially sent this soup which will not only relieve the fatigue and at the same time prevent sleeping without harming the brain,” he explained.
“Who is this Lady Hualing? So considerate” Prime Minister asked as he took a sip and felt quite satisfied, “It’s delicious and indeed miraculous, just one sip and my headache from reviewing reports last night is relived,”
“Forgive me, sir, I forgot that it cures any ache caused by fatigue,” he spoke proudly.
“We keep asking you, who is this Lady Hualing and you are trying to avoid us!” I rebuked him.
“Replying to His Highness, Lady Hualing is the biological sister of the Crown princess.”
“How did she discover that we stayed up late?” It was quite suspicious; things in the palace are complicated, and even a small issue might become a major scandal.
“She must have received the request from my wife,” the Prime Minister and I got to our feet and gave the crown prince a small bow as he approached us, the crown prince added.
It was impossible for my crown princess to know about our late-night discussion as she had retired early to her bed, if she knew, she would not let my sixth brother sacrifice his sleep for something that could have been done later, the same goes for my seventh sister-in-law. But, the fact that I required her favor, I did make any further queries.
“Rise!” He said, “Let’s head to the morning assembly if you are done, “he commanded.
“Oh! wait!” I turned to the bowl of soup and drank it all at once.
“Don’t choke yourself!” Prime Minister advised and I started coughing just after that. He patted my back and a palace maid offered me a glass of water.
I took small sips and wiped my mouth, “I am done, thank you, prime minister,” I expressed my gratitude for his concern and followed the elders to the giant hall.
An hour later, my brother sitting on the crown prince’s throne rubbed his temples and tried to be patient with the ministers who kept debating the tax affair.
Revenue Minister had submitted a memorial stating that the revenue was only twenty percent of the amount levied from the people and that the treasury was suffering because of the same.
Two days later another memorial was submitted by Grand Duke Ji that we should increase the taxes on agricultural lands and make a thorough investigation against the revenue collectors. He then died the next day because of an old illness.
It had caused an uproar because it was said that he was killed because of the investigation.
I stood before the crown prince and next to the seventh prince who sighed after glancing at the two old ministers who had discussed the tax matter with the Crown Prince last night.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling sleepy?” I asked knowingly.
“Surprisingly no! This Lady Hualing is a mage, her soup was not only delicious but effective. Those imperial physicians prescribed such bitter medicine, but none of them worked on me. However, this soup vanished in a few blinks,” he whispered.
“Indeed a mage! She must have put some dark spells in the soup,” I mumbled.
“Don’t offend her! Do you hear me? We have to get the statue repaired,” he warned.
“What were you sighing about?” I changed the topic of our murmuring conversation.
“Those two old officials tried a lot to pursue our brother not to increase the taxes or investigate the revenue collectors, didn’t they?” He looked in their direction and I followed his gaze to find them yawning and stumbling on their neck because of their sleep, The old people are like young kids who need to take frequent naps and avoid tiring their bodies too much. I was there in the discussion with them all the time and I knew they twisted every grey hair on their head to convince my brother.
“So?” I still asked, knowing he felt bad to see them lacking sleep, but what can I do when this Lady Hualing was petty and did not send them her miraculous soup?
“Minister Kai and Minister Sui, I grant you rest in the side hall, taste the soup sent by my sister-in-law, Lady Hualing,” my brother commanded out of the blue after receiving a signal from a eunuch.
“Yes!” the two of them retreated from the hall, without any delay.
“So, according to Revenue minister Lu, the treasury is suffering and the solution by Grand Duke was investigation and increase of tax, right?”
“Yes!” All the ministers nodded at the same time.
“I also received a complaint that the officials did not receive appraisals this year,” he opened the memorial sent by some officials and took a quick look.
“Yes!” They all unitedly agreed.
“How about I legalize the trade with the northern states?”
“Please don’t, your highness!” They spoke unitedly against my brother, he was enraged to see the corrupt official and threw the memorial, which landed before me.
“Except Prime Minister and other few officials, you all are bathing in the muddy water and thus don’t want me to clean it! You all are rebelling! However, before His Majesty returns, I shall clean you all up!”
“We are meritorious subjects of His Majesty, you cannot just punish us,” One of the officials threatened.
This gave rise to my temper and I walked up to the official and stood before him, “What are you doing, Prince Shiyi? I have carried you in my arms, you dare go against me?” His eyes widened with fury. I threw a big smile and grabbed his hand, twisted it until I heard his bone breaking.
“Waghhh!!!!! What are you doing? You…disrespectful prince, I will complain against you to the Emperor!” He yelled and screamed at me.
“Ow..why should you? I heard your hand was paining, I just gave you a massage,” I then slapped myself hard several times and even stab my shoulder with my pointy ring and it started bleeding.
“Official Cao, how dare you rebel? You tried to assassinate the eighth prince?” Prime Minister scoffed and then turned to my brother and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty has only three surviving sons, we won’t be able to explain if something happens to the eighth prince, you must not be impartial and let Official Cao continue his arrogance.”
“Crazy! This is crazy! My dear officials, see how prime minister is betraying us,” Official Cao hopped out of the line and started yelling as he was dumbfounded.
“Official Cao, I am the eye witness that you tried to kill eighth prince and accuse the crown prince for the murder, sowing discord in the imperial family. However, our eighth prince is blessed he defended himself and broke your hand, while he bleeds those wounds given by you.” Another loyal minister played along.
“You all will stand and let this happen? Okay! Okay! My ghost will come and see how it happens to you in future.” Official Cao went to the other officials who had their eyes glued to the ground as they did not dare to involve themselves in this matter.
“Official Cao intended to rebel with revenue minister who tried to mislead me with false report. Official Cao attacked my brother and thus must get a hundred strokes.
Remove the tongues of both the rebellions as they tried sowing discord, cut their fingers for submitting fake reports. Considering their past achievements, their female members are spared from this punishment, however male clan members must be exiled,”
The crown prince stood up and announced his verdict. His pen servant soon came up to him with a written decree and he stamped his seal.
“How? You…fool…how dare you give such a harsh punishment to a high ranker like us? Aren’t you afraid of censorate? Aren’t you afraid of His Majesty?” The revenue minister yelled as he was dragged by the imperial guards.
“Censorate? Did I do something wrong?” My brother asked looking at the censorate officers, the head stepped out and greeted him with a bow, “May your highness live a thousand year.”
“Rise up!” My brother signaled him with his hands.
“His highness is benevolent, the family of these perfidious officials were not implicated and their lives were spared even when the eighth prince was brutally attacked by them. His highness has given the best possible punishment to this criminals.” He replied with praises for my brother.
“You are a corrupt official!” the revenue minister kicked in the air and was taken away.
“Prince Shiyi, I grant you medical leave, recover well before the Emperor arrives,” Crown Prince permitted me to leave and I was thrilled, though I acted without a plan, the prime minister, other officials and even my brother played along well. Though I was energetic after drinking the soup, I did not wanted to waste my time in the tax matter. However, I was surprised that my brother took this golden opportunity and clear the culprits of tax matter.
I did not care about anything else and nodded, ” I shall not disappoint Your Highness,” I said and started walking toward the exit, passing the fearful grazes of other officials who appeared iron-bound in the matter and went against the crown prince, following the revenue minister’s lead.
However, I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder, “Let me send you, little brother.” It was my seventh brother who had this strange, creepy that scared my boldness away.
We walked out and as I was about to sit in the palanquin, he spoke of the thing I wished he didn’t.
“You have all the time now, hurry up and get the statue repaired,” he reminded me.
“How heartless you are! Look at this wound! And here and see here also, how can you ask me to do such a risky thing when I am literally bleeding.” I complained in a dramatic tone, he smacked my other shoulder and said, “You think I am a fool? These superficial cuts made by you to scare the ministers are nothing before those bloody scars on your body, so-called your momento from wars, I don’t want to hear you whining. Get this matter done, at least one sword would be less on my neck,” he walked back to the Assembly Hall.
I banged my hand against the palanquin edge out of frustration, it is tough to live in the capital than the military base.
