The Princess Is On Top (GL) - Chapter 3

Inside Pingjing City

From far outside the imperial study, the sounds of argument could already be heard.

“Your Majesty, what Prince Ying said is simply absurd in the extreme!”

Inside the imperial study, red and purple robes mingled together as a crowd of officials argued endlessly. As for that figure in bright imperial yellow, he merely sat in the seat of honor, watching them dispute without saying a word.

“In this prince’s opinion, the Grand Tutor sees the matter clearly!” The dark-red python robe stood out especially among the crowd. “Barbarians like the Northern Hu have existed since the founding of Great Wu. All they know how to do is raid the borders. They are fundamentally nothing to fear!” Yu Zhuo made no attempt to hide the contempt in his words. This prince of the saddle had followed his elder brother Yu Ke on campaigns north and south since childhood, and he was Yu Ke’s full-blooded younger brother besides, so such words from him were not surprising.

But the assembled ministers could not help thinking deeper. After the new emperor ascended the throne, his temperament had become strange and suspicious. If there was anyone who could guess even a few parts of His Majesty’s will, it was probably none other than Prince Ying. Could it be that the emperor had long intended to launch a southern campaign, and that was why Prince Ying was saying this now? In that case, perhaps they really ought to consider which side they should stand on. In any case, once the one seated above grew obstinate, he would listen to no one. Why bother risking a thankless effort?

Each of the ministers harbored his own thoughts. The old Grand Tutor, however, was provoked by Prince Ying’s words until his blood surged. Agitated, he said, “Before resisting external enemies, one must first pacify the realm within. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, unrest has continued without end. Even now, small bands of rebel troops remain in various places. If we launch a southern campaign at this time, the traitorous rebels will surely seize the chance to cause chaos. Add to that the Northern Hu watching hungrily from the side… the consequences would be unimaginable!”

With a thud, the old Grand Tutor knelt before the emperor. “Your Majesty! A southern campaign at this time must never be undertaken!” At that moment, all around them was silent. No one made a sound. Whether they had been shocked by the Grand Tutor’s kneeling or intimidated by what he had said, no one knew. Yu Zhuo was just about to retort when he was cut off by a cold snort from the seat above.

Yu Ke rose from his seat and paced over to the Grand Tutor. Looking down at the old man kneeling prostrate on the ground, he said in a deep voice, “Could it be that Minister Zhang’s words are secretly implying that Zhen is no enlightened ruler, and that this is why there has been ‘unrest without end since Zhen ascended the throne’?” Everyone in the world knew that Yu Ke had killed his elder brother and seized the throne. The court ministers had been intimidated by his methods and had no choice but to support him as emperor. Yet in truth, his name lacked legitimacy and his claim lacked righteousness. The righteous armies rising in every direction used precisely this as their reason to attack Wu.

The Grand Tutor’s words would have been harmless on an ordinary day. But if someone with ulterior motives heard them, they could accuse him of recklessly discussing the emperor and punish him for the crime of rebellion. That too would be possible.

When the Son of Heaven is angered, millions of corpses fall, and blood flows for a thousand li.

With only a few short sentences, Yu Ke made Zhang Huaiyan feel as if he stood on the edge of an abyss. Even his lips could not help trembling. How had he forgotten? The man before him was not the previous emperor, but a god of slaughter. Now, a blade of death was already suspended above his head, ready to take his life at any moment.

Among the officials present, there were also some who were on good terms with Zhang Huaiyan. But at this fatal moment, none of them dared defy the dragon’s might and put their own heads on the line to plead for him.

Zhang Huaiyan also knew that disaster had fallen upon him. Cold sweat had already broken out all over his body. At once, he kowtowed until his head struck the ground with loud thuds. “This old minister deserves death. This old minister was muddle-headed. Your servant absolutely did not mean that!”

Yu Ke looked expressionlessly at the old man kowtowing until his head split and bled, no one knowing what he was thinking. Standing to the side, Yu Zhuo grew a little anxious. Although the Grand Tutor was indeed rather stubborn on ordinary days, he was still a veteran official of two reigns. Seeing that his imperial brother had no intention of stopping him, if the old man really kowtowed himself to death here, the whole court would inevitably be thrown into panic. Whether for public or private reasons, there was no need for that.

Wang Dequan stood not far outside the imperial study. Eunuchs were not permitted to interfere in government affairs—this had been the rule since ancient times. But he also could not stand too far away, lest the emperor call for him and he fail to hear.

“Stop right there, you little brat. Do you know what place this is? So reckless and hurried. His Majesty is inside discussing affairs with the ministers. I think you must not want that head of yours anymore!” he scolded in a low voice.

A servant had come running from the end of the corridor, looking as if his soul had left his body. His clothes were disheveled and his face was pale, and Wang Dequan struck him on the head with his horsetail whisk.

The servant seemed to be called back to his senses by Wang Dequan’s shrill voice. Seeing that the person standing before him was Head Eunuch Wang, the chief steward of the palace, he pushed aside the whisk, grabbed Wang Dequan’s hand, and said anxiously, “Chief Steward Wang, I must see His Majesty at once!”

Wang Dequan was startled and thought the servant was about to attack him, only to hear the other party blurt out such an utterly bewildering sentence. Furious, Wang Dequan kicked him to the ground and spat, “And who do you think you are? Is the Holy Sovereign someone you can see just because you want to? I think you’ve grown tired of living. Men—”

The nearby guards heard him and were about to step forward, but unexpectedly, the person on the ground began wailing, “Fourth Highness got into a conflict with the Su heir. The heir… the heir is already dead…!”

“What did you say?!” Wang Dequan grabbed him by the collar and threw him back to the ground. Then he turned and strode quickly toward the door of the imperial study.

The hurried footsteps drew everyone’s gaze inside the room. Before long, Wang Dequan appeared before them. Yu Ke frowned and looked at Wang Dequan. If he did not have a proper reason, then his position as chief steward had probably come to an end. Wang Dequan shivered under that gaze. No longer caring about complete etiquette, he walked straight to the emperor’s side and whispered in his ear.

“The matter of the southern campaign will be discussed another day. Beloved ministers, you may disperse. Azhuo, come with Zhen. Wang Dequan, bring the person over.”

Yu Ke left with Yu Zhuo, leaving a room full of important ministers at a loss. Everyone began discussing what exactly had happened that could make the emperor abandon a room full of senior officials and leave without another word. Fortunately, someone still remembered that Zhang Huaiyan was kneeling on the ground. They saw his eyes staring blankly ahead, while the floor tiles were already stained with blood.

“Grand Tutor, why put yourself through this? Get up quickly. His Majesty has already left. Since he did not say he would do anything to you, that means he will not hold it against you.” Everyone echoed these words, and together they helped Zhang Huaiyan up in a flurry of hands, then walked out with him.

Yu Ke brought them to Donghua Palace. Although Yu Zhuo did not know what had happened, he could sense that it was certainly no small matter. Otherwise, why would his imperial brother have abandoned the matter of the southern campaign? That was something the two brothers had planned for a long time, and they had been prepared to make the final decision today. Unexpectedly, an accident had occurred.

“Imperial Brother, what exactly happened?”

Yu Ke’s expression was so dark it was somewhat frightening. He paid no attention to the younger brother beside him and instead looked toward the servant behind him. “Wang Dequan, where is he?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, he is waiting outside the door. Quickly, bring him in!” Wang Dequan called toward the doorway.

The servant who had reported the news earlier was brought into the hall. Perhaps because he was intimidated by the dragon’s might, he looked timid and submissive. “This lowly one… this lowly one kowtows before Your Majesty.”

“What exactly happened? Hurry and tell His Majesty the truth. If you leave out even a single word, watch your head!” Wang Dequan looked at the emperor’s expression, then barked at the servant.

“…Yes… It was like this…”

The Su family’s status in the Wu Dynasty could not be called low by any means. Just the fact that the Su clan had been granted the title of king despite bearing a different surname was enough to show how lofty their position was. The Su family’s fief lay around Luoyang, a region of Jiangnan water towns and incomparable wealth. This generous favor had been granted because the old prince and the late emperor had shared a life-and-death friendship. Several years after the old prince passed away, the late emperor followed him as well. After that, the heir Su Qian inherited the title of Prince of Luoyang. Su Qian had two sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Su Huai’an, was established as heir and sent to the capital. His second child, his daughter Su Luoyang, was granted the title Commandery Princess of Luoyang. His youngest son, Su Cheng, had followed his father into the army since the age of twelve and was now already a Left Vanguard. During the later struggle for the throne, the Su family chose to protect themselves by staying out of it. Because of this, the one now seated on the dragon throne had always carried a knot in his heart. The Su family could not really be counted as his own people, yet the Su family held military power. The forty thousand Su family troops were not many, but they were a brave and fierce army. So even after he ascended the throne, even after the Su family had taken the initiative to show goodwill by sending their heir into the capital as a hostage, he still could not rest easy. Thus, he transferred Su Qian away from his fief and sent him north to guard the barren borderlands against the harassment of the Northern Hu. It could be called using great talent for a lesser purpose. Yet even with such estrangement between ruler and subject, Su Qian never uttered half a word of complaint.

From the very first day the Prince of Luoyang’s heir entered the capital, he and the fourth imperial son, Yu Shiwen, had not gotten along. This was something the whole of Pingjing knew. The two had fought and traded barbs more than a few times. Su Huai’an was diligent in his studies and martial training, quite carrying his father’s style, but his temper was quick to flare. At the slightest disagreement, he would resort to his fists. As for the fourth prince, Yu Shiwen, he was Pingjing’s little tyrant. Before Su Huai’an arrived, everywhere he went, chickens flew and dogs leapt. Yet the emperor was still rather fond of this good-for-nothing son of his, so he turned a blind eye to Yu Shiwen’s actions. There was no other reason for this than the fact that Yu Ke valued martial strength, and although Yu Shiwen was ignorant and incompetent, he possessed a good set of martial skills. Over the years, no small number of people had been beaten by him.

Both of them were favored sons of heaven, and neither would submit to the other. But when they truly fought, Su Huai’an still had a slight edge. Even when Yu Shiwen was beaten by Su Huai’an, he had nowhere to air his grievances. The other party’s status was not much lower than his own, and if they really traced the relationship, he even had to call the other man elder cousin. So he could only mock and squeeze Su Huai’an openly and secretly, but with little effect.

Although Su Huai’an was not fond of women, he was utterly obsessed with music. Jiaoniang, the foremost among the four great courtesans of Drunken Flower Tower, had profound skill in the art of the qin. Whenever she performed, Su Huai’an was certain to attend and support her. The two had also exchanged thoughts on music before, and Su Huai’an regarded her as a kindred spirit.

It was also widely rumored in Pingjing City that the Prince of Luoyang’s heir was Jiaoniang’s intimate guest.

That day, the four great courtesans of Drunken Flower Tower were presenting their arts. The Su heir was on the second floor listening to the music, just beginning to be absorbed by it, when he heard a clamor rising from the hall on the first floor. It turned out that Yu Shiwen had taken a fancy to Jiaoniang. After drinking too much wine, he stubbornly insisted on buying out her contract.

“This young master, Jiaoniang sells her art, not her body. Many thanks for your kind intentions. Since this young master thinks so highly of me, why not sit down and listen to a few more songs?” The woman on the stage dipped in a slight curtsy to show courtesy.

“How dare you! Do you know who our young master is? Our young master wanting to buy out your contract is a blessing you earned over eight lifetimes. You’d better not fail to appreciate favor!” a person who looked like an attendant shouted.

At this moment, quite a few people in the hall had already recognized Yu Shiwen. After all, Pingjing’s noble circles were only so large. These silkpants young masters all saw one another constantly.

“Which dog is barking here and disturbing this heir’s music?”

A clear male voice rang out. Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Su Huai’an walking down from the second floor. When he saw Jiaoniang looking over at him with faint worry, he gave her a reassuring look.

“I wondered who it was. So it turns out to be Fourth Highness’s dog. No wonder it barks so loudly.”