Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 58

The Prince of Qi was the son of Emperor Qi’s favored consort, Lady Ji. He was the sixteenth child and enfeoffed as the Prince of Yuzhang.

As soon as he set foot on Wei soil, he was greeted by high-ranking ministers. Bearing his credentials, the Prince of Yuzhang’s carriage proceeded directly into Luoyang.

He had come to Wei on this mission for two purposes: to seek a marriage alliance and to forge a friendly pact. He carried the hopes and dreams of the Emperor of Qi and was certainly not alone. Accompanying him were not only servants and armored guards but also his Royal Tutor, who served as his strategist.

Upon the envoy’s arrival in Wei, the Emperor ordered the Court of State Ceremonial to host a welcoming banquet. Given that the guest was an imperial prince, the Court of State Ceremonial, to show the gravity of the occasion, had the Grand Minister himself preside over the feast.

During the banquet, the Prince of Yuzhang inevitably inquired about the princesses of Wei.

As it happened, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was also named Wang, a not-too-distant clansman of Chancellor Wang. He inwardly scoffed at this young prince. The only princess of suitable age in the kingdom was Her Highness Puyang. Let alone a mere younger son of the Qi Emperor, even if the Crown Prince of Qi himself came to seek her hand as his consort, His Majesty would likely refuse.

From his own standpoint, having Princess Puyang marry far away was far less beneficial than her remaining at court. What could she accomplish as a princess consort in Qi? It wasn’t as if she would be the empress. By staying at court, Princess Puyang had far more influence, which was, at the very least, advantageous to the Wang Clan. Princess Puyang had already cooperated with the Wang Clan twice: once regarding the matter of the Governor of Chen Commandery, who had since successfully become the Inspector of Qing Province, and again in helping to repel the faction of the Prince of Zhao, who had sought to gain control over the Feathered Forest Guard.

Despite these thoughts, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial maintained a courteous tone. Feigning surprise, he said, “Your Highness has come to seek the hand of a princess?”

The Prince of Yuzhang smiled shyly. “I have heard that Your Majesty of Wei has a fine daughter. My heart is filled with admiration, and I have traveled a thousand li to ask for her hand. I hope the Grand Minister can inform me if His Majesty has any intention of marrying his daughter.”

The Grand Minister feigned confusion. “I wonder which princess Your Highness is referring to?”

The Prince of Yuzhang was also puzzled. After exchanging a subtle glance with his Royal Tutor, he smiled and said, “I have heard that the Emperor of Wei has only one unmarried princess of age. Naturally, it is she.”

There had been another princess of similar age to Puyang, but she had been married off two months prior, leaving only Puyang.

The Grand Minister chuckled. “So it is Her Highness Puyang. This is a matter of His Majesty’s family. As an outside official, how could I possibly know? I’m afraid Your Highness will have to take the trouble to ask His Majesty yourself.”

The Prince of Yuzhang understood then that there were likely other factors at play. He immediately dropped the subject and steered the conversation toward local customs and culture.

As soon as the banquet concluded, the Prince of Yuzhang dispatched men to investigate the reason.

It did not take long to find out. The Prince of Yuzhang was dumbfounded. “There is actually a princess who can interfere in politics.” And not only that, but the Emperor of Wei doted on her. It was truly unheard of.

He paced back and forth in frustration, then said to his subordinate, “We cannot return empty-handed. Go and find out if the Emperor of Wei has any other daughters. It doesn’t matter if they are younger; we can arrange the betrothal now and welcome her in a few years.”

The man he sent had already inquired. He replied, “There are no others. The next is the Eleventh Princess, who is still learning to speak.”

The Prince of Yuzhang pressed his forehead and waved his hand in annoyance, dismissing him.

His Royal Tutor, who had been sitting silently to the side, waited until the man had left before speaking. “Why is Your Highness so vexed? Do you not realize this is a good thing?”

“Oh?” The Prince of Yuzhang turned his head and asked humbly, “What does my Tutor mean by this?”

The Royal Tutor smiled. “Your Highness has always been at odds with the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince has long resided in the Eastern Palace and has supporters, while Your Highness has only His Majesty’s favor and is weak in power. But marrying a princess of Wei would change that. The Emperor of Wei dotes on her, so he will surely extend that affection to you. Your Highness can make a private pact with the Emperor of Wei. When you obtain the kingdom one day, ceding cities and offering annual tribute can all be negotiated.”

The Prince of Yuzhang had a revelation. He returned to his seat and struck his fist into his palm. “What my Tutor says is absolutely right. The more reluctant the Emperor of Wei is to marry her off, the more valuable the princess appears, and the more I should seek her hand. However,” he hesitated for a moment, “ceding cities and offering tribute is perhaps going too far.”

The Royal Tutor smiled. “Since it is a private pact, who will know? When Your Highness ascends the throne, if Wei comes to demand you honor the agreement, Your Highness can simply delay, or refuse. Even if it leads to a falling out, it matters not. With the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, what can Wei do?” If Wei had been capable of attacking, they would have done so long ago. The world had been at peace for a long time; war was not something that could be started at will.

The Prince of Yuzhang was extremely tempted. He and his elder brother, the Crown Prince, did not get along. He enjoyed pleasure and power, and with his father’s favor, he had inevitably become somewhat arrogant. The Crown Prince disliked him for it, and he disliked the Crown Prince in return. Not being one to endure slights, there was much conflict between them. While his father was still alive, things were manageable. But once His Majesty passed away and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, there would surely be no good days for him.

He then thought about how Princess Puyang could interfere in politics. He had originally felt that a woman should not be too formidable, but now he thought differently. A formidable, assertive, and shrewd woman would be the perfect capable wife and helper, able to scheme for him. As for gentle and delicate women, once he secured the throne, what beauty could he not have?

The Royal Tutor continued his counsel. “Since the Emperor of Wei dotes on his princess, he must have a tender father’s heart. Your Highness must move the Emperor. You must transform a transaction into a tale of youthful admiration.” As he spoke, he grew pensive. “It would be best to first meet the princess. I will devise a plan for this. Before then, I ask Your Highness to remain patient.”

If he claimed to admire the princess without ever having met her, it would not be convincing.

The Prince of Yuzhang followed his line of thought and, hearing his instructions, immediately agreed.

The next morning, the Prince of Yuzhang went to pay his respects to the Emperor. During the audience, he did not mention his marriage proposal, speaking only of diplomatic relations between the two nations. When they failed to reach an agreement, he showed no anxiety. He spent his days walking the streets of Luoyang, experiencing the customs of another country, or seeking audiences at the palace, as if he were not on a diplomatic mission but on a tour. It was quite surprising.

Such composure earned him a measure of respect. The Emperor had him watched while also ordering close attention to be paid to the situations in both Song and Qi.

Upon learning of the Prince of Yuzhang’s arrival in the capital, an idea formed in Wei Xiu’s mind. She had previously conducted a detailed investigation and comparison of the three kingdoms before deciding to stay in Wei, so she had some understanding of Qi’s internal politics.

Among the three kingdoms, Wei was strong while Song and Qi were weak, simply because Wei possessed a thousand li of fertile land and a powerful army. But if Qi were to annex Song, becoming a single, strong nation facing Wei across the river, it would be difficult for Wei to cross the Yangtze.

The Crown Prince of Qi was a man of virtue. If he were to gain control of the Great Wei, the political landscape south of the Yangtze would inevitably change. It was best that he not ascend the throne.

She mentioned this to Puyang, who agreed. In her past life, three years from now, the Emperor of Qi would pass away, and the Crown Prince would ascend the throne. He would then sharpen his weapons and feed his horses, attempting to attack Song. His ambition for annexation was perfectly clear.

“The Prince of Yuzhang…” Puyang murmured, trying her best to recall this person’s future.

Seeing her lost in thought, Wei Xiu asked, “Has Your Highness already met the Prince of Yuzhang?”

Puyang returned to her senses and smiled slightly. “I have not met him, but I have heard some rumors.”

After speaking, she once again fell into deep thought. After all, it was the internal affair of another country, and the Prince of Yuzhang was not the heir apparent, so he did not attract much attention. After a long while, she finally remembered that this Prince of Yuzhang was exiled from the capital after the Crown Prince of Qi ascended the throne. His mother was driven out with him, and not long after, both were sentenced to death. To be so hated by the new monarch that he would risk a reputation for cruelty toward his own kin, there must have been a prior conflict, and a significant one at that.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she appeared distracted. In all their time together, Her Highness had never been so absent-minded. Wei Xiu grew concerned and asked gently, “Is Your Highness feeling unwell?”

Puyang shook her head and murmured softly, “I was just thinking about the Prince of Yuzhang…” To be hated by the Crown Prince to such an extent was surely not something that happened overnight. They were likely already at odds with each other. Perhaps something could be made of this.

Having thought it through, she looked up and saw Wei Xiu watching her with a strange expression, as if she wanted to say something but was holding back. Puyang asked, “What is it, Sir?”

Wei Xiu looked at her, then finally pursed her lips and smiled. “It is nothing.”

Puyang, focused on the matter at hand, paid it no mind and continued, “Is your strategy, Sir, to have the Prince of Yuzhang replace the Crown Prince?”

Wei Xiu nodded. “Precisely. The Prince of Yuzhang loves pleasure and covets power. He has great ambition but little talent. If Qi were under his rule, it would certainly not become an obstacle to Wei’s southward expansion.”

Puyang agreed, but how to proceed still required careful planning. After all, it was the internal affair of another country and not easy to interfere in.

“This is a major affair of state. I cannot accomplish it with my power alone. I must report it to His Majesty for a decision,” Puyang said.

Wei Xiu was of the same mind. A matter concerning diplomatic relations between two nations was not something a princess could handle on her own.

The next day, Puyang went to the palace.

After hearing her out, the Emperor first offered some words of comfort, then his gaze turned cold. “Only you would have thought of this. Not a single one of the princes cares.”

The Emperor’s dissatisfaction with his sons had accumulated bit by bit, just like this.

He had toiled and schemed to create this excellent situation. If his successor was muddle-headed, absurd, incompetent, and brought ruin to the country, why should he work so hard? Wouldn’t it be better to enjoy life peacefully like the Emperor of Qi, or to be as carefree as the Emperor of Song?

The Emperor was perhaps disheartened. In recent days, such thoughts often crossed his mind, but he could not speak a word of them to anyone. They were merely thoughts he kept to himself.

Seeing the Emperor’s cold gaze, Puyang did not dare to say more.

The Emperor sighed. “From what I see of that Prince of Yuzhang, he is not easy to deal with. Judging by his actions these past few days, he is very composed.” On second thought, he asked, “Was this your idea?”

Puyang seized every opportunity to make the Emperor think favorably of Wei Xiu. She answered truthfully, “It was Sir Wei’s idea.”

The Emperor had a moment of realization, placing a hand on his forehead. “Of course. Who else could think so far ahead?” After all, Wei Xiu had once told him to his face that her ambition was to throw a kingdom into chaos.

“Since it is Sir Wei’s plan, have her come and speak with me in person.”

This matter had to be handled while the Prince of Yuzhang was still in the capital. The Emperor immediately sent someone to summon Wei Xiu.

However, just as the messenger left, the Prince of Yuzhang suddenly arrived. The Emperor and Puyang exchanged a look. “My child, go and hide for a moment.”

Puyang had no desire to see this person either, so she immediately rose and retreated through an inner chamber.

The Prince of Yuzhang had sought an audience because he heard the princess was in the palace. He had hurried over, only to find no sign of her in the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue. The Prince of Yuzhang was disappointed. He pretended he had come on matters of diplomacy, but after a few brief words, he took his leave.

Watching him depart, the Emperor sneered, “He leaves after just a few cursory words and claims to have come on matters of diplomacy?” He clearly had ulterior motives! To think he could play such tricks before him, how naive!

The thought that this man was coveting his Seventh Lady made the Emperor very unhappy. Let alone the fact that he had no other princesses, even if he did, he would not marry one to him. The Great Wei had not yet reached the point of needing marriage alliances to secure its diplomatic ties.

Dou Hui had watched the entire exchange and naturally knew what the Emperor was talking about. He just smiled and chuckled. “Such a shallow trick would naturally not escape Your Majesty’s discerning eye.”

The Emperor sneered twice more.

Having failed to see Puyang, the Prince of Yuzhang was unwilling to give up. He walked toward a nearby palace path, intending to look around the palace, hoping the princess might still be lingering somewhere.

But how could he be allowed to wander the imperial palace? The eunuch who had led him to the audience naturally forbade it. After being dissuaded from all sides, the Prince of Yuzhang had no choice but to take another route out of the palace.

After walking down a stretch of the palace path, he saw a woman in a crimson court dress standing there. Her wide sleeves and broad robes fluttered as if she were an immortal. She stood with her head raised, graceful and moving.

The Prince of Yuzhang was momentarily stunned. The palace attendant with him had to call his name twice before he came to his senses. He quickly asked, “Who is that?”

The attendant replied, “That is Her Highness Puyang.”

So this was Princess Puyang? The Prince of Yuzhang was overjoyed, sighing inwardly, As beautiful as an immortal. If he could have such a woman as his consort, what need would he have for any other beauties?

Puyang was waiting there for Wei Xiu. When she saw someone approaching, she cast a cool gaze in their direction. Seeing the person’s attire, she immediately guessed who he was.

How did he end up here? Puyang thought to herself. He was, after all, an imperial prince and an envoy. She could not be too unapproachable.

When the Prince of Yuzhang came forward to pay his respects, she returned the courtesy with a bow of her own.