The Red Mansion

Chapter 233 Jingning Returns to the Capital, Taishun Thinks of the Heir Apparent
The ninth day of April.

The sky over Jiangning was hazy, and a light drizzle fell like silk threads, almost wetting our clothes.

Emperor Jingning arrived at the dock in a bright yellow palanquin, with eight eunuchs holding apricot-yellow silk umbrellas to attend to him. The nine dragons playing in the sea embroidered on the umbrellas, moistened by the rain, appeared even more menacing with their scales and claws, and their golden eyes glaring fiercely.

Prince Zhongshun, Yuan Xi, Lei Xiaochen, Jiang Nian, and others accompanied him.

Chen Bina, Tang Jina, Zhen Yingjia, Jia Yucun, and other civil and military officials from Jiangning saw them off despite the rain.

The soles of everyone's boots stomped on the wet flagstones, splashing up tiny droplets of water.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off!"

All the officials knelt down in the rain.

Zhen Yingjia's official robe was immediately soaked with water, and Jia Yucun's knee happened to be pressed into a puddle, but he dared not move.

Emperor Jingning nodded slightly, ordered everyone to rise, and then, with Yuan Xi's help, boarded the dragon boat.

He stood leaning on the railing, gazing at Jiangning in the rain. The distant mountains were shrouded in mist, and the nearby waters were hazy. The land of the Six Dynasties seemed to be shrouded in a cloud of sorrow and desolation. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "I originally intended to enjoy the scenery of Jiangnan during this southern tour, but who knew that my mood would be ruined by those eight, nine, and ten sons!"

Thinking of this, a hint of melancholy crept into his brow, and even the golden scales on the nine-dragon umbrella above his head seemed to dim a little.

Suddenly, a bugle sounded, its blast shattering the heavens.

The dragon boat slowly left the shore, stirring up the misty waters of the river.

The officials on the shore remained standing in the rain, watching the dragon boat sail away until it disappeared into the vast rain and mist, merging with the sky and earth, before they dispersed.

Only the drizzle remained, as if the commotion just moments before was nothing but a fleeting dream.

……

……

The tenth day of April.

Emperor Jingning's dragon boat sailed into the Yangzhou dock.

Just then, a light drizzle fell over Yangzhou, and countless silver threads of rain fell into the water, creating numerous tiny ripples.

Zhan Tanlin, Guo Xia, and other Yangzhou officials were already standing on the riverbank, their clothes soaked by the drizzle, yet they dared not slacken their vigilance. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the emperor to land.

Emperor Jingning's stay in Yangzhou was due to three matters:
Firstly, the imperial procession will stay here for one night;
Secondly, the coffin of the fourth prince, Yuan Li, must be brought back to the capital. This fourth prince was assassinated in Yangzhou, and his body was temporarily placed here after being placed in a coffin. Now, his soul can finally return to the capital.

Thirdly, he will meet with Grand Secretary Fu Qi. Fu Qi did not accompany the emperor to Jiangning, but stayed in Yangzhou to continue investigating the assassination of Yuan Li. Now that the case is clear, he will naturally accompany the emperor back to the capital.

Jiang Nian inquired with Zhan Tanlin and learned that the newly appointed Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai had arrived at his post a few days earlier. The former Salt Commissioner, Lin Ruhai, had resigned and gone to the capital with his family.

The following morning, Yangzhou was still drizzling, and the sky was as dark as lead, making it hard to breathe.

A plain white boat was moored on the shore, covered with white banners that drooped as if weeping after being soaked by the rain. It was Yuan Li's funeral boat.

A group of guards and personal soldiers carried the coffin slowly onto the ship. With each step, muddy water splashed up from their boots, making the surroundings seem even more desolate.

Emperor Jingning stood on the shore, watching the coffin being steadily placed in the boat. His throat moved slightly, and he silently murmured in his heart, "Li'er, I'm taking you home."

Suddenly, the sound of bugles wailed, and the dragon boat set sail.

The pure white spirit boat followed the dragon boat, slowly sailing into the vast expanse of misty waters, gradually disappearing into the misty rain.

A white egret suddenly skimmed across the water, creating ripples, and then disappeared into the vast sky in an instant.

The drizzling rain dampened the memories of Yangzhou.

……

……

It was mid-April, already early summer.

On this day, after a fresh rain in the capital, the Changchun Garden in the western suburbs was lush with vegetation, and glistening dewdrops still clung to the tender leaves. When the sunlight shone on them, it was as if the garden was covered with scattered jade fragments.

Inside the warm pavilion of Danning Residence, Emperor Taishun was bent over his desk reviewing memorials. He wore glasses, and the memorials piled up like a mountain in front of him, indicating the heavy workload of the court.

Suddenly, the sound of boots was heard outside the curtain. Grand Secretary Wang Tingyu entered, carrying a finely folded sandalwood box.

"Another secret letter from the Emperor Emeritus has arrived, this time it is delivered by express courier from Jiangning."

Wang Tingyu said in a low voice, his tone revealing a hint of caution.

Emperor Taishun took the secret box, took out an exquisite key, and opened it himself. Inside, a secret letter made of yellow silk was neatly folded as new. Emperor Taishun slowly unfolded it, carefully examined it, and his brows furrowed more and more.

In his letter, Emperor Jingning detailed the assassination attempt in Jiangning and revealed that both the assassination of Yuan Li and the current assassination attempt were carried out by Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and Yuan colluding with Dai Quan.

The letter also mentioned that Yuan Shi secretly gave Yuan Si a handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra belonging to Emperor Taishun and a letter stamped with the seal of "Master Yuanming".

It was also mentioned that, fortunately, Jiang Niansheng captured the bandit leader Xiao Zhong, which exposed Dai Quan's true colors, allowing the truth of the case to be uncovered.

After reading it, Emperor Taishun was both shocked and furious, and his hand holding the secret letter trembled slightly.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "If we don't find out the truth, won't the Emperor Emeritus suspect that I assassinated him? If that's the case, and father and son turn against each other, he might force me to abdicate..."

Thinking of this, I felt a cold sweat break out on my back.

In Emperor Taishun's view, if Emperor Jingning really turned against him and forced him to abdicate, he would have a high probability of losing his throne. If he resisted strongly, it would cause chaos in the court and even turmoil in the world.

Emperor Taishun took a deep breath and said to Wang Tingyu, "You may leave now."

Wang Tingyu was curious but remained silent, bowing as he withdrew.

Emperor Taishun sat alone for a while, his heart churning with turmoil. Suddenly, he got up and walked to the carved window.

Outside the window, the rain had stopped and the sky was clear and blue. Several crabapple trees, still wet from the rain, had glistening water droplets on their petals.

Emperor Taishun gazed at the scene, but his heart was filled with no leisure. He hated Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, Yuan, Dai Quan and others so much that his teeth itched.

These treacherous officials not only killed his fourth son, Yuan Li, but also dared to attempt to assassinate Emperor Jingning and frame him, clearly trying to depose him as emperor.

To his dismay, his third son, Yuan Shi, was also involved!
A cold glint flashed in Emperor Taishun's eyes, and he wished he could immediately issue an edict to arrest Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and Yuan.

However, Emperor Jingning had instructed him in a secret letter to hold back for the time being and to punish the emperor severely after he returned to the capital.

"Enough, I've endured it for so long, why not endure it a little longer?"

Emperor Taishun took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and decided to leave Yuan Shi alone for the time being, so as not to alert the enemy and cause any unforeseen events.

He couldn't help but think of his son from the common people—Jiang Nian.

If Jiang Niansheng hadn't captured the bandit leader Xiao Zhong, how could the truth have come to light?
Thinking of this, Emperor Taishun sighed inwardly, "Thanks to Yi'er!"

In his secret letter, Emperor Jingning also mentioned that Jiang Nian had made great contributions to the reform of the salt administration in Yangzhou and had also captured the bandit leader Xiao Zhong, thus deserving a substantial reward. However, Emperor Jingning stated that he would discuss the reward with Emperor Taishun after returning to the capital. Emperor Taishun secretly pondered, "Does Father mean that he intends for Yi'er to be recognized as an ancestor and formally included in the imperial genealogy?"

Upon thinking of this, Emperor Taishun couldn't help but think of the matter of the crown prince.

The fourth prince, Yuan Li, is dead, leaving only three sons—Yuan Shi, Yuan Zhou, and a young son who is not yet of legal age. In addition, there is Jiang Nian, a son from a commoner family.

Yuan Shi? Ha! I've even considered killing this rebellious son. How can I allow him to inherit the throne?

Yuan Zhou? This boy has no great talent, far inferior to Li'er, is playful and pleasure-seeking, and is unfit for great responsibilities. Moreover, his mother, Consort Yu, comes from a low social class.

As for the youngest child who has not yet reached the age of teeth, he is only five years old and is frail and sickly. It is still hard to say whether he can grow up safely.

Emperor Jingning had previously written that Yuan Shi was not suitable to be the heir apparent, but that Yuan Zhou and his youngest son should be carefully cultivated, and the most virtuous of them should be chosen to succeed him in the future. However, Emperor Taishun felt in his heart that neither of these two sons was a good choice.

"Is there really no suitable successor to my empire?"

Emperor Taishun was distressed, his brows furrowed.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: "My commoner prince, Yi'er, is exceptionally talented, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and has repeatedly achieved great feats at a young age. He is also quite resourceful and can bring me good fortune... Should he be allowed to inherit the throne?"

The moment this thought arose, even Emperor Taishun himself was taken aback.

Previously, he had never considered the matter of Jiang Nian inheriting the throne.

However, at this moment, the thought ignited in his heart like a spark.

Although the thought was small, it had already been planted in his heart.

Just waiting for it to take root and sprout in the future...

……

……

On April 21st, the sky over the capital was overcast, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low, but no rain fell.

Today is the day Jia Lian returns to the Rongguo Mansion.

Rongqing Hall was already packed with people.

Grandmother Jia sat upright on the couch at the head of the table.

Other characters include Jia She, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Aunt Zhao, Aunt Zhou, Li Wan, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, Jia Baoyu, and some maids and servants.

Yuan Chun was also present, her expression gloomy, with her maid Bao Qin standing behind her.

Yesterday, Jia Lian had already sent a servant back to report the situation of Lin Ruhai and Lin Daiyu, and even mentioned that the fourth prince Yuan Li had been assassinated in Yangzhou, and that Jiang Nian had been imprisoned by the retired Emperor Jingning.

Upon hearing of this, Yuan-chun was filled with worry and came to the Rongguo Mansion today to wait for Jia Lian.

At this moment, a maid outside lifted the curtain and said, "Second Master Lian has arrived."

Everyone looked up and saw Jia Lian enter, looking travel-worn.

Jia Lian first bowed and greeted Grandmother Jia, Jia She, Madam Xing, and Madam Wang.

Before Grandmother Jia could speak, Jia She eagerly asked, "Has Lin Ruhai truly recovered?"

Jia Lian replied, "Father, Uncle Lin's illness was cured by a country doctor named Su Tianshi. Jiang Nian specially invited Su Tianshi from Suzhou to Yangzhou."

Upon hearing this, both Jia She and Madam Xing's expressions turned ugly. This couple had long coveted Lin Ruhai's fortune, and now that their wishful thinking had failed, they were naturally displeased and their hatred for Jiang Nian intensified.

Grandmother Jia then asked, "Lian'er, before you left the capital, I told you to make sure you brought Lin back with you. Why didn't you listen?"

Jia Lian hurriedly said, "Please forgive me, Madam. Because Uncle Lin has recovered from his illness, he will soon be transferred to the capital to await his appointment. My sister Lin will be going to the capital with Uncle Lin, but she will depart a little later than me."

Jia Baoyu was already feeling down when he learned yesterday that Lin Daiyu had not returned. He was even more upset when he heard Jia Lian say this. He could only comfort himself: "Sister Lin will come back eventually. When she does, she will naturally stay at the mansion again, and we will eat and play together again."

Suddenly, Madam Xing couldn't help but ask, "Lian'er, I heard that the Fourth Prince was assassinated in Yangzhou? And Jiang Nian was imprisoned by the Emperor Emeritus because of this? Could it be that he was involved in the plot to murder the prince?"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia glared at Madam Xing, inwardly annoyed: "This foolish woman, how can such confidential matters be discussed in public?"

Jia Lian replied, "This matter is not yet clear. If it is true, it is a heinous crime, punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family." As he spoke, he glanced at Yuan Chun.

He has developed a deep hatred for Jiang Nian in Yangzhou, and he has no intention of speaking up for her right now.

Grandmother Jia's expression tightened, and she asked, "Did your Uncle Lin say anything?"

Jia Lian replied, "Uncle Lin only said that Jiang Nian was imprisoned because he was in charge of the reception of the emperor in Yangzhou and could not escape responsibility. As for whether he was involved in the plot to murder the prince, Uncle Lin refused to say more."

With a gloomy face, Jia She said to Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, why don't we send Yuan Chun back to the Jiang family immediately? Our household must quickly sever ties with that little beast. If he really was involved in the plot to murder the prince, we might be implicated if we don't distance ourselves from him in time."

Grandmother Jia was filled with unease, thinking to herself, "Regardless of whether Jiang Nian is truly a prince, even if he is, it would be an unforgivable crime for a commoner to participate in the plot to murder a prince!"

Seeing that Yuan Chun was still sitting there motionless, Jia She said coldly, "What are you still standing here for? Hurry up and go back to your Jiang family! Do you want to implicate our household?"

These words were extremely harsh, and even Lady Wang secretly glared at Jia She.

At this moment, Yuan Chun felt as if a bottle of mixed emotions had been spilled in her heart. She was worried about Jiang Nian's safety and felt wronged, but she forced herself to remain calm and refused to shed tears in front of others. She looked up at Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, hoping that they would say something fair, but she saw that the two of them hesitated and remained silent.

Yuan Chun felt a chill in her heart. She bit her lip, stood up, curtsied to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, and said in a low voice, "Grandmother, Madam, I'll take my leave."

……

……

Yuan Chun rode in a carriage with a green canopy, pearl tassels, and eight treasures, slowly driving out of the Rongguo Mansion.

In fact, she was essentially kicked out in public.

The maid, Baoqin, sat close to Yuanchun, clutching an embroidered handkerchief in her hand. She stole glances at Yuanchun's expression and saw that Yuanchun's brows were furrowed and her eyes seemed to hold a thousand thoughts.

Yuan Chun's slender fingers trembled slightly as she gently lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside. She saw that the vermilion gate of the Rongguo Mansion with its beast-head design was still majestic, and a plaque with the words "Imperial Construction of Rongguo Mansion" hung under the eaves, its gold lacquer gleaming.

She thought to herself, "Could it be that if I go today, I will never be able to step into the Rong family mansion again?"

She lowered the curtains, and in the silence, a lump formed in her throat. Finally, she couldn't hold back her tears, which fell like pearls from a broken string.

Although she was crying with tears streaming down her face, she bit her lip, refusing to let out a sob.

Seeing this, Baoqin quickly used her embroidered handkerchief to gently wipe away Yuanchun's tears and whispered, "Grandma, please don't worry. Master is always cautious and would never do such a rebellious thing..." Before she could finish speaking, her own eyes also reddened and her voice choked with sobs.

Yuan Chun took the handkerchief, dabbed at the corners of her eyes, and forced herself to stop crying, but her heart was churning like boiling water: "Did my husband really participate in the plot to murder the Fourth Prince? If so, why would he do such a treasonous thing?"

After pondering for a long time, she took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and thought to herself, "Even if it was my husband's doing, even if he is executed, I will die with him! Besides, this matter is still unresolved, how can I lose my composure?"

At this moment, the wheels rumbled over the bluestone road, the dull sound like muffled thunder.

(End of this chapter)