Chapter 64: Strategist
The flickering candlelight illuminated the Crown Prince’s face, now bright, now dim.
The Crown Prince held the letter close to the candle flame. The greedy flames devoured it, and the letter soon turned to ashes, leaving no trace.
Three days later, in the dead of night, the Eastern Palace suddenly suffered qi deviation. Some palace servants and eunuchs took the chance to cause chaos, intending to assassinate the Crown Prince, but all were executed on the spot.
Emperor Xiaowen had recently been on good terms with the Crown Prince. Hearing of this, he flew into a rage and ordered a thorough investigation of the Imperial Palace. In the end, pulling up the radish brought up the mud, and it reached the people close to Prince Wei and Empress Liu.
The Crown Prince did not wait for Emperor Xiaowen to show favoritism. He took the initiative to speak: “The Empress has always been kind and loving. My fifth brother has always been close to me, his elder brother, and would never commit such an evil act. It must be these treacherous villains who committed the crime behind their master’s back. They absolutely cannot be lightly spared.”
Emperor Xiaowen went with the flow and had all these traitorous villains executed.
In this palace purge, over a hundred people died, almost all confidants of Empress Liu and Prince Wei’s mother and son. Prince Wei still had to express gratitude to his generous elder brother.
Prince Wei was so furious in private that his eyes turned red, but in front of Emperor Xiaowen, he still had to show a face full of gratitude and shame: “It was my failure to discipline them properly, nearly causing a great disaster. Fortunately, elder brother emerged unscathed. These scoundrels deserved to die.”
The Crown Prince warmly comforted Prince Wei: “Fifth brother is still young and does not yet know the wickedness of people’s hearts. After this incident, he has learned a lesson. From now on, just strictly discipline them. We brothers are as close as hands and feet, with deep affection. We absolutely will not develop grudges over such minor matters.”
Prince Wei was moved to tears: “Elder brother is truly too good to me.”
The Crown Prince smiled: “We are blood brothers. Why say such distant words?” He then took the initiative to say to Emperor Xiaowen: “Father Emperor, with such an incident in the palace, there are bound to be rumors flying around, which harms fifth brother’s reputation. Your son wishes to hold a feast in the Eastern Palace and have fifth brother appear there. When all officials see our brotherly affection, they will stop wagging their tongues.”
Emperor Xiaowen was greatly comforted and nodded in approval.
With Emperor Xiaowen’s permission, the Crown Prince held a feast in the Eastern Palace, and all the officials who received invitations attended.
At the feast, the warm, generous, and righteous Crown Prince personally escorted His Highness Prince Wei as they appeared. The two brothers toasted each other and chatted merrily. It was as if nothing had happened.
Anyone with eyes could see what was going on. In this clash, the Crown Prince suffered negligible loss, while Prince Wei was greatly depleted in vital energy. Not only were his wings in the palace clipped, but his prestige also plummeted. The fence-sitters who had been watching now all swung toward the Crown Prince. The officials who had secretly surrendered to Prince Wei could not help but regret it in their hearts.
Prince Wei accompanied the Princess Wei back to her family home and entered the study with his grim-faced father-in-law to talk.
“I don’t know who is secretly scheming and planning for the Crown Prince behind the scenes.” Prince Wei had suffered repeated setbacks and was filled with nameless rage. He gnashed his teeth, his handsome face twisted ferociously: “This king will definitely find this person and dismember him by a thousand cuts.”
General Situ showed no superfluous expression on his face: “The Eastern Palace has a mastermind. The Crown Prince has gained the upper hand repeatedly. If Your Highness continues with this temper of flying into a rage without thinking, you might as well leave the capital early and go to your fief.”
Prince Wei was not afraid even of Emperor Xiaowen, but he held some awe for his father-in-law, who did not show joy or anger. He immediately shut his mouth.
After a moment, General Situ spoke: “Right now, the Eastern Palace’s power is rising. Your Highness might as well avoid its sharp edge and spend more time fulfilling filial duties by the Emperor’s side.”
In governing the state, three Prince Weis could not match the Crown Prince. Prince Wei should play to his true strength and put in full effort with Emperor Xiaowen.
As long as the Son of Heaven was determined to depose the Crown Prince and establish a new one, Prince Wei could laugh last.
Prince Wei exhaled a breath of turbid air and nodded: “Father-in-law is right.”
……
“Prince Wei has suffered repeated losses and must be unwilling in his heart. In affairs of state, Prince Wei is no match for the Crown Prince. Prince Wei’s advantage still lies in the Emperor’s favor.”
“Once the Son of Heaven resolves to depose the Crown Prince, the Eastern Palace will be in dire straits. The Crown Prince must prepare in advance to avoid being caught without retreat and at others’ mercy.”
“Only when power is in one’s own hands can one be secure.”
Under the bright candlelight, Pei Qinghe took up her brush and wrote fluidly in one go. After finishing and sealing the letter, Pei Qinghe gave it to the Beiping Army’s messenger: “Please deliver this letter to General Meng.”
This letter would be mixed in with General Meng’s letters and sent together to the Eastern Palace.
This was her fifth letter to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince had never replied, but he had repeatedly ordered the Beiping Army to send grain and gold and silver, which was enough to show his attitude. Pei Qinghe, this Eastern Palace strategist hidden in the shadows, was known to very few.
Even Madam Feng only thought Pei Qinghe was writing to General Meng and never imagined that Pei Qinghe, without leaving Pei Family Village, had stirred up the winds and clouds in the palace and imperial court.
“Qinghe, bad news.” Madam Feng hurried in, her face worried: “Wind is rising outside, and it’s about to rain.”
“The winter wheat has just headed, and if heavy rain comes now, it will be disastrous.”
Before the words finished, a clap of thunder rang out. Accompanied by lightning, gale winds soon arose, and heavy rain poured down.
Fortunately, the thatched hut had been repaired before winter and could barely keep out the wind and rain.
Pei Qinghe braved the rain and made a circuit of the village. She instructed everyone not to leave their houses before the rain stopped. Burn the firewood in the fire basins more vigorously and bring out all the previously prepared cotton quilts to keep warm.
“Zhao Hai, Fang Datou, you two stay in the horse stable tonight.”
The two nodded in agreement.
After marrying into the family, Zhao Hai was completely devoted to the Pei family and carefully tended to the mules, donkeys, and the newly bought ploughing oxen every day.
The warhorses were even more precious. The newly built stable was spacious and clean. The warhorses ate bean feed and drank warm water, with treatment better than people’s.
Fang Datou yawned and nudged Zhao Hai with his remaining arm: “You’re really lucky, kid. You have a wife and a daughter.”
Zhao Hai chuckled.
In fact, Bian Shulan was already pregnant. The months were still early, not suitable for announcing it. In a few months, they might add a big fat boy.
Such good days, he previously hadn’t even dared to imagine.
This heavy rain lasted a full two days before stopping.
The first season of land reclamation hadn’t held much hope to begin with. Now with this heavy rain, who knew how much grain could be harvested.
Fortunately, Pei Family Village had built a granary, filled with grain. The sense of security of not going hungry was truly wonderful.
Madam Li shakily went to check the granary and sighed to Madam Lu sitting in front of the house: “Thanks to Qinghe, who got so much grain. Otherwise, who knows how many people in Pei Family Village would have starved this year.”
Young Master Shi sent people with grain twice, and the Beiping Army came three times. Wasn’t it all for Pei Qinghe’s face?
Madam Lu kept her head down sewing a shoe sole, not lifting her head: “Since she became the Pei Clan Leader, she has to shoulder the heavy responsibility. This is all what she should do.”
Madam Fang combed a smooth braided pigtail for her granddaughter Xiao Wan’er and chimed in with a smile: “That’s not how it is. Qinghe has capability and skill, and we benefit from it. There’s no should or shouldn’t about it. We all have to acknowledge this favor.”
Madam Lu had no kind words in her mouth, but the corners of her lips had already quietly curved up.
