Chapter 48: One Step Away! Just One Step Away!! Seeking Monthly Tickets
Inside the warm pavilion behind Chunhe Hall.
Consort Lü sat gracefully on a couch, holding a book of 《 Admonitions for Women 》, her posture serene and elegant, as if all the turmoil of the outside world had nothing to do with her.
Her trusted palace maid stood silently by her side, reporting the latest news in a voice barely above a whisper:
“Your Ladyship, this servant personally saw His Highness Yunteng change into coarse clothes and slip out through a small gate in the West Gate passageway during the guard change when no one was around! Princesses Mingyue and Mingyu are frantic and are searching the entire palace grounds with their people! Should we send someone…”
“What’s the rush?”
Consort Lü spoke calmly, her voice steady, betraying no hint of emotion, even carrying a trace of imperceptible indulgence:
“Yunteng, that child, is a bit too lively. The palace rules are strict, and he must be bored. It’s good for him to go out and get some fresh air. Tell Mingyue and Mingyu not to make a fuss, and absolutely not to disturb His Majesty. Let him be; he’ll return before dark.”
The palace maid understood, bowed her head in assent, and withdrew.
Soon, the hall returned to silence.
Consort Lü’s gaze fell upon the book, but her thoughts had long since drifted.
“Mother, Imperial Grandfather seemed to imply last night that I would be established as Imperial Grandson.”
Zhu Yunwen, who had been quietly reading beside Consort Lü, suddenly spoke.
“Splat!”
The 《 Admonitions for Women 》 in Consort Lü’s hands fell to the floor.
It’s done! It’s really done!?
Consort Lü felt a surge of hot blood rush to her head!
She sharply grabbed her son’s hand, her fingertips icy with immense surprise: “You- you’re sure?!”
“Absolutely sure, Mother!”
Zhu Yunwen nodded vigorously: “My intuition is never wrong! Imperial Grandfather must favor me!
Boom!
A great, almost melting wave of ecstasy seized Consort Lü. She felt as if she saw the glittering successor position beckoning her son.
Years of forbearance and planning were finally about to see the dawn.
She gripped her son’s hand tightly, her voice filled with unprecedented strength: “Good! Good child! Heaven bless my son! Heaven bless my son!”
Just then, an eunuch’s announcement was heard from outside the warm pavilion: “Reporting to Crown Princess Consort, Your Highness Yunwen, Master Huang has arrived.”
Consort Lü took a deep breath, suppressing the heart that was almost leaping out of her chest, quickly released her son’s hand, and sat up straight again, her face striving to regain its usual composure. However, her slightly rapid breathing and the lingering light in her eyes betrayed her emotions.
Zhu Yunwen also quickly stepped back and straightened his robes, but the excitement and certainty stemming from last night’s hint still made him radiant.
Huang Zicheng, holding a book, entered with steady steps.
Today, he wore a brand-new dark blue official robe, making him look spirited.
This gave both Consort Lü and Zhu Yunwen a sense of strangeness.
Huang Zicheng’s usual stern, even slightly pedantic expression was gone, replaced by an indescribable excitement and solemnity. His gaze towards Zhu Yunwen was filled with unprecedented ardor and reverence.
He walked to the center of the warm pavilion, and instead of bowing to Zhu Yunwen as he usually did to perform the master-student ritual, he stopped, adjusted his robes, and his expression became extremely solemn.
Facing Zhu Yunwen, he slowly raised his hands, clasped them solemnly before his chest, and then bowed deeply, performing a perfectly standard, extremely respectful ceremonial bow with crossed hands, reserved only for a subject meeting the Crown Prince.
This sudden, extraordinary gesture, which surpassed their master-student relationship, struck Consort Lü and Zhu Yunwen dumbfounded, like a thunderclap.
Zhu Yunwen, startled, took a step back, his face instantly turning from red to pale. He was flustered, his voice changed: “Mas- Master Huang! What is the meaning of this?! You are too kind to this student! Please rise quickly!”
Huang Zicheng then straightened up, a look of almost fanatical excitement, as if he had “finally waited for this day,” on his face. He looked at Zhu Yunwen, his voice trembling from suppressed emotion, but clearly uttered earth-shattering words:
“Your Highness! This is the will of Heaven! Last night, I was summoned by His Majesty and met with Scholar Liu Sanwu and Imperial Son-in-law Mei Yin in the warm pavilion of Huagai Hall for an audience! His Majesty’s mind is decided! The successor position belongs to no one but Your Highness!”
“His Majesty’s golden words praised Your Highness as ‘filial and benevolent, the only choice for the Crown Prince’!”
“Today’s court session is when Your Highness will officially take your place in the Eastern Palace and your title will be permanently established!”
“This humble servant, Huang Zicheng, offers his congratulations to His Highness the Imperial Grandson in advance! May His Highness live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”
Rumble—!
Huang Zicheng’s words, like thunder from the heavens, completely confirmed Zhu Yunwen’s almost dreamlike speculation from last night.
They also ignited the last trace of doubt in Consort Lü’s heart.
“Imperial Grand- Grandson?!”
Zhu Yunwen was dizzied by the title. The immense happiness and the dizziness of impending power made him almost unable to stand. The Emperor’s meaningful words from last night echoed clearly in his ears.
Consort Lü trembled all over with excitement. She abruptly stood up from her armchair, rushed to Huang Zicheng, and her voice, sharpened by extreme joy, asked: “Master Huang! Did His Majesty truly. truly say that?! Just last night?!”
“Absolutely true! Crown Princess Consort!”
Huang Zicheng stated with conviction, his face unable to suppress his overwhelming joy:
“Scholar Liu cited classics to establish the legitimacy, Imperial Son-in-law Mei guaranteed loyalty with military power, and I praised Your Highness. His Majesty’s mind is made up; we only await today’s court session. Scholar Liu will initiate, and His Majesty will then issue the imperial decree!”
He said, so excited that his beard trembled violently: “I am truly. unable to contain my joy, hence I overstepped and offered my congratulations to Your Highness first!”
“Good! Good! Good!”
Consort Lü said “good” three times, feeling a surge of pride and triumph rush to the heavens.
She turned abruptly, grabbed the hand of her son Zhu Yunwen, who was also trembling with excitement, her eyes filled with boundless joy and tears:
“Yunwen! My son! Do you hear?! Heaven has not failed those who strive! We have succeeded! You are about to become the Imperial Grandson!!”
Zhu Yunwen’s eyes welled up with tears of excitement. He clasped his mother’s hand tightly, his immense joy making him almost speechless, only able to nod repeatedly.
However, the peak of this ecstasy lasted less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before it was completely shattered by the sound of frantic, almost scrambling footsteps and shrill, distorted cries.
“Crown Princess Consort! Your Highness Yunwen! It’s bad!”
A pale-faced eunuch, his hat askew, scrambled into the warm pavilion:
“Something terrible has happened at the court session in the Hall of Supreme Harmony! A group of minor officials have gone mad! They are demanding their salaries with tattered account books! And. and they stuffed the account books into their mouths! The Emperor is furious. furious to the point of fainting on the spot!!”
“What!?”
Consort Lü, Zhu Yunwen, and Huang Zicheng were struck as if by lightning.
It was as if they had been doused from head to toe with a basin of icy water.
The ecstatic joy on Consort Lü’s face instantly froze, then turned to a deathly pallor.
She felt stars dancing before her eyes, the world spinning. Her body swayed violently, and she stumbled to grasp the adjacent rosewood table, her fingernails scratching a piercing shriek on the smooth surface.
The excitement and fervor on Huang Zicheng’s face froze like solidified lava, stiffening on his face, then giving way to extreme bewilderment, confusion, and disbelief. He cried out, his voice distorted:
“What salary demands?! The Emperor fainted from anger?! What about establishing the Crown Prince?! Did Scholar Liu bring it up?!”
The little eunuch collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down his face, crying:
“It. it wasn’t brought up! Everything is in chaos! A complete mess! Those people are like they’re possessed! Before the Emperor fainted, he only managed to say. Arrest Zhang Biao. He didn’t mention establishing the Crown Prince at all!!”
“Plop!”
A dull thud.
Zhu Yunwen’s legs gave out. He could no longer support the body that had just been enveloped by the halo of Imperial Grandson and knelt rigidly on the cold, hard golden bricks.
The immense drop, like an invisible machine, instantly drained him of all strength and soul!
The hopeful hint from last night, Huang Zicheng’s exhilarating congratulations, now all transformed into the cruelest irony, piercing his heart like countless steel needles!
The successor position that was within reach, the supreme glory, shattered before his very eyes!
“Mother—!!”
“One step away! Just one step away!!”
This wail, earth-shattering, echoed through the deathly silent warm pavilion.
Seeking monthly tickets! Seeking follow-up reads!! Follow-up reads are important! Seeking monthly tickets! Seeking follow-up reads!!
