Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 104

With an empress regnant on the throne, the positions of the late Emperor’s two sons were bound to be awkward.

Xiao Yuan, the Prince of Han, was fifteen, and Xiao Zhan, the Prince of Teng, was thirteen. With four older brothers who had vied for the throne before them and nephews who were not content to remain idle after them, coupled with the fact that these two princes had quiet and unassuming dispositions, few in the court paid them any mind. As a result, even after being enfeoffed as princes and establishing their own households, they remained in obscurity.

Had Xiao Dewen remained on the throne for long, they would have been fine. Had one of their older brothers emerged victorious, they could also have lived lives of wealth and honor. But fate had played a cruel trick. The Prince of Jin had forced the palace, the Prince of Zhao and others had joined the rebellion, and Puyang, seizing the moment, had ascended the throne as empress. This thrust the Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng into the spotlight, placing them at the center of a brewing storm.

Wei Xiu focused her thoughts, contemplating deeply.

If the two princes were not handled properly, they could become a great disaster. Even if they remained docile their entire lives, there would be no shortage of people using their names to stir up trouble. This was impossible to prevent; with Puyang’s ascension, many were discontented.

On the small table sat a cup of tea, now cold.

Wei Xiu said nothing, lost in her own thoughts.

A palace attendant brought a fresh cup of tea, replacing the cold one. Puyang picked it up and placed it by Wei Xiu’s hand. Wei Xiu took it unconsciously, still deep in thought.

The courtyard was lush with vibrant greenery, its dense shade casting a cool, deep green hue under the gentle sun, softening any sharp edges. The layout of the courtyard was clearly the work of a master, with trees, grass, and flowers creating a picturesque scene. Occasionally, a palace attendant would pass by, but they would not disturb them, only bowing from a distance before disappearing silently.

The imperial palace was usually a place of clamor—of laughter and tears, of open and hidden schemes, of ambition and profit, all-pervasive. Yet this place was tranquil. Wei Xiu was a person of serene temperament, and such people always loved quiet.

At this moment, her eyes were downcast, her long, curled eyelashes nearly casting shadows beneath her eyes. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she seemed to have forgotten where she was.

Puyang’s anticipation grew. She lifted her teacup, took a sip, and set it back down. A moment later, she picked it up again, then set it down again. After she had done this several times, Wei Xiu finally spoke.

“I believe,” Wei Xiu said, choosing her words carefully, “that rather than keeping them in the capital, it would be better to send them to their fiefdoms.”

Wei Xiu had carefully compared keeping them in the capital versus sending them to their fiefs. While keeping them in the capital, under her watchful eye, would certainly make them easier to deal with, Puyang could not dispose of them at will. The voices of the world were a powerful force, and guarding against public opinion was more difficult than damming a river. Wei Xiu did not want Puyang to earn a reputation for harming her own kin. Moreover, the capital was a place of endless strife. The Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng had been in the capital for years; no matter how quiet and uncontroversial they were, they would have connections through marriage and close friends, making it very easy for them to conspire with others. They were different from the four former princes. The Prince of Zhao and the others had operated for a long time and had networks in the provinces. The Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng did not. Sending them to the provinces would be tantamount to isolating them from the world. If the local officials were then ordered to supervise and monitor them, they would not be able to escape even if they grew wings.

Furthermore, in the coming years, there would likely be no shortage of rebellions. With a princess as emperor, there would always be petty individuals who saw it as a violation of the natural order and wished to seize the opportunity to cause chaos. The Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng would be excellent figureheads for such movements. The capital was heavily guarded, but the provinces were lax. Rather than trying to block every potential threat, it was better to give them a line to be exploited. Once a treacherous minister contacted the two princes, it would be proof of their crime. Then, when Her Majesty dealt with them, it would be perfectly justifiable. Whether she killed them or imprisoned them, it would be a logical course of action.

Wei Xiu still believed that leaving loose ends would lead to endless trouble that would be difficult to resolve. If it was possible to eliminate future troubles, it was best to do so.

After she finished speaking, she looked at Puyang, wanting to hear her opinion as well. It seemed as if a light was falling from Puyang’s eyes, and darkness was spreading. She tried her best to resist it, but she was retreating step by step. Wei Xiu was surprised and wanted to look more closely, but Her Majesty offered a charming smile, making it seem as if what she had just seen was merely a trick of her own eyes.

“If they are to be sent to their fiefdoms,” Puyang said, still not giving up hope, she looked at Wei Xiu and asked softly, “which two places do you think would be most suitable?”

This time, Wei Xiu answered without hesitation. “How about the prefectures of Qian and Fang?” She had some people in those two places. If the two princes went there, even if the local officials were negligent, she could fill in the gaps.

The last glimmer of light in Puyang’s eyes was extinguished. The prefectures of Qian and Fang. In her past life, the rebel armies that had invaded Luoyang had come from those two prefectures. She supposed A Xiu had already made her arrangements long ago.

First, she had supported the Prince of Zhao, lighting beacons of war across the land. Then, she had taken the armies of Qian and Fang to bolster the Prince of Zhao’s power, slaughtering the various princes of the Xiao clan. Afterward, upon entering Luoyang with the throne within her grasp, she had executed the Prince of Zhao, seized military power, and allowed the rebel armies to massacre all the Xiao imperial relatives in the capital.

Now, she was again suggesting that the Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng be dispatched to those two prefectures. It seemed she still intended to walk the same path as in her past life.

In truth, many things were already different in this life. Even if A Xiu wanted to keep the two princes in the capital, it wouldn’t necessarily mean anything. Perhaps she had other plans. Puyang was only seeking to deceive herself. But A Xiu… she hadn’t even left her that self-deception.

Puyang felt she had reached a point where there was no escape.

She looked at Wei Xiu, her heart filled with sorrow.

If it were only her own life that A Xiu wanted, she would give it freely.

But what A Xiu wanted was far more than that.

Wei Xiu casually took a sip of tea. Seeing that Puyang had not yet answered her, she asked, “Does Your Majesty think these two places are acceptable?”

Puyang looked at her. Wei Xiu’s clothes were immaculate, her bearing gentle and refined; there was not a single flaw in her. Indeed, she had no flaws. Even at this moment, as Puyang’s heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife, she still felt that A Xiu had no flaws.

“I will think on it more,” Puyang said softly, lowering her eyelids.

Wei Xiu frowned slightly. She wanted to persuade her further, but then she remembered that while the Prince of Jin had been executed, the Prince of Zhao and the others had only been sentenced to exile. Because the treason case had not yet been fully tried, all involved were still in prison. It was indeed not a good time to do anything to the two princes; the matter needed to be set aside for a while. There was no need to rush.

So Wei Xiu said no more. Seeing that Puyang seemed listless, her feelings written plainly on her face, Wei Xiu couldn’t help but smile. “Is Your Majesty also like this when you are out and about?”

“Hm?” Puyang was a little confused, but as soon as she saw Wei Xiu’s bright smile, she averted her gaze and said with a faint smile, “Of course not. I am only like this in front of you. Can you not feel my affection for you?”

Of course, she could. Wei Xiu’s heart softened immensely. She took the initiative to take Puyang’s hand and said gently, “I feel the same way toward Your Majesty.”

Tears welled up in Puyang’s eyes, and she almost cried. She looked down at their clasped hands and curved her lips, but in the end, she could not manage a smile. She said softly, “A Xiu, don’t call me Your Majesty. We are a married couple; there is no need to be so distant.”

Wei Xiu felt that Puyang’s mood was a little off. She composed her smile and looked at Puyang. Her dark, heavy eyes were scrutinizing, yet also worried. She wanted to find some clue in Puyang’s expression, but Puyang was intentionally concealing it. How could she easily discover it?

Afterward, Puyang did not return to the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue, staying with Wei Xiu until nightfall. They reviewed memorials, discussed state affairs, and mentioned the ongoing treason trial. Nothing seemed amiss. But Wei Xiu just felt that Puyang had something on her mind, something she was unwilling to share.

This was rare. In the past, whenever something was on her mind, she would always take the initiative to tell her, sometimes to ask for advice, other times just because she found it amusing and wanted to share a laugh.

Puyang suddenly had a secret she could not share with her. Wei Xiu found it quite unsettling. But other than that, she hadn’t changed. She still cared for her daily needs, still remembered to apply her medicine, and still leaned against her after falling asleep, as if only by her side could she sleep peacefully.

Given this, Wei Xiu couldn’t very well press the matter. Asking too much would make her seem overly suspicious.

Puyang kept having a dream. She dreamed that the monarch kneeling before Wei Xiu was not Xiao Dewen, but herself. Wei Xiu unhesitatingly plunged the sword into her heart. She fell to the ground, struggling futilely, not to live, but to see if there was even a shred of reluctance in Wei Xiu’s eyes.

Over and over, she dreamed it every night, and every night she woke up. She was getting used to it. The only comforting thing was that when she woke, Wei Xiu was always by her side.

Her sleeping face gave her a great deal of solace. In the future, when the truth had to be revealed, no matter how much they turned against each other, she would at least have the tranquility of this moment as a comfort. In the future, when she really did kill her, she could still use the peace of this moment as a support.

After much thought, Puyang moved the grand ceremony for installing the Imperial Consort forward, from the seventeenth to the sixth. This date was not among the auspicious days previously reported by the Director of the Grand Observatory, but it was close. She first ordered the Bureau of Astronomy to perform divination, which revealed no inauspicious signs, and then issued an edict to the Ministry of Rites.

Only then did she feel a little better. She was so eager for the world to know that Wei Xiu was hers that she could not even wait a short eleven days. She was so eager to report to Heaven and Earth, to make her union with Wei Xiu more legitimate, that even her own enthronement ceremony had been hasty and perfunctory, yet she decreed that the ceremony to install the Imperial Consort must be solemn and must reach the will of Heaven.

After doing all this, she told Wei Xiu about it.

Wei Xiu was surprised. “Why such a hurry?”

Puyang’s gaze was gentle as she explained, “There was a change in the stars yesterday, and the auspicious and inauspicious signs changed with it. The Director of the Grand Observatory said the seventeenth is no longer an auspicious day. I thought changing it wouldn’t be difficult, but it will be hard on the Ministry of Rites, having to rush the preparations.”

Wei Xiu said no more.

Puyang added, “At the grand ceremony, I intend to enfeoff you as the Prince of Xia, with Ye Commandery and the ten surrounding commanderies as your fief.” The Wei dynasty established vassal states, usually with a single commandery as their territory. Ye was a prosperous place, and adding ten surrounding commanderies made for a territory of unprecedented size.

Wei Xiu’s expression changed. Seeing Puyang looking at her expectantly, she sighed and said, “There is no need for this. You know I have never cared for these things.”

Puyang smiled and said, “I know.” But what you do care for, I cannot give.

As a sovereign, she bore a heavy responsibility. She could not allow Wei Xiu to ignite the flames of war and endanger the common people as she had in the past life. All she could give were these insignificant things. She would use these days, while Wei Xiu was still unaware, to break her wings. When the day of truth came, she would use her own life to appease Wei Xiu’s hatred. She imagined that by then, having witnessed her deception and her deep scheming, A Xiu would want to cut her into a thousand pieces.

Ye was a large commandery. With proper management, it would not be difficult to hide there. Then, with some careful arrangements on her part, given A Xiu’s intelligence, it should not be difficult for her to escape.

Puyang smiled faintly. “Just consider it indulging me.”

Wei Xiu still refused.

Puyang then said, “You are in the palace now, and those people of yours are also idle. With a fief, it would be easier to settle them. And A Rong, you like having her serve you, but she is getting on in years. It’s time to think about her marriage.”

Wei Xiu had the same intention. The land she had previously ordered A Rong to buy was for the purpose of settling them and ensuring they had food and clothing. She said, “That doesn’t require being made a prince. As for A Rong’s matter, I will consider it, but I must also ask her what she wants.”

Puyang said no more. It was her oversight. How could A Xiu accept a princely title from the Wei dynasty?

She fell silent for a moment, then said, “The Capital Commandant, Jiao Yong, has rendered great service this time. I intend to promote him to the Court of State Ceremonial as its minister. What do you think?”

The Grand Herald, one of the Nine Ministers, was indeed a high promotion. But the Grand Herald’s office oversaw diplomacy and was a civil post, whereas Jiao Yong was a military officer. Wei Xiu frowned slightly and said, “What about the Court of the Imperial Guard?”

Puyang shook her head. “There are no vacancies in the Court of the Imperial Guard, so it would be difficult to place him. The Chancellor also once served as Grand Herald. The position is prestigious and, though it lacks military power, it is beneficial for one’s career.”

Wei Xiu could find no fault with her reasoning.