The Crown Prince Returns to the Palace (1)

The ‘restless’ empress really never once settled down, with matters following one after another. Once the law was more or less revised, she just started regulating the various problems in the capital. Lines were drawn out on the main roads, dividing into pedestrian lane, horse carriage lane, and sedan lane, also designating which roads the horse carriage can’t go, and which places at which time periods pedestrians can’t go. Afterwards, it was opening up specialized lines for public horse carriages. Even though some areas some places might be a bit roundabout, not that convenient, but overall, it appeared increasingly methodical and orderly. The frequency of accidents also greatly reduced. And after getting used to it, it also didn’t feel inconvenient. On the contrary, there were much more conveniences.

As such, the various matters steadily progressed step by step, methodically carrying out.

Afterwards, without any warning, numerous court officials’ personal character and conduct also got incorporated into the evaluation scope, including the upbringing towards their children, and also including the various problems of their rear court. In the past, perhaps they still needed to be formally accused of misconduct in order for there to be an effect, and the local officials further didn’t have any misgivings. Mutually sending one another beauties was further the norm.

However, now, although it wasn’t really to the extent where if lacking in self-cultivation, one absolutely won’t be able to get promoted, but under the same circumstances, if one’s rear court has problems, then the opportunity certainly will be given to someone else.

As time went on, some people also gradually figured certain things out. Clearly, these were all related to her Highness’s likes and dislike. The most obvious bit was just her Highness’s maiden family brothers, none had any concubines. Reportedly, it’s said that they didn’t even have a tongfang by their side. Including those Luo family son-in-laws, their sides were also quite clean.

In this way, if still unable to make out anything, then one really was just a block of wood.

At this point now, no one dared to say anything about the empress interfering in politics anymore. Truthfully speaking, the major matters of the world, more than half, were all handled by her Highness. If not for his Majesty worrying about her Highness being too tired, perhaps he really will completely toss everything. Towards this bit, the court officials were also quite helpless, yet it can’t even be said. If a court official were to say something, even if just very vaguely mentioning, his Majesty will just disappear for a very long period of time, practically just like a willful child. But, he was the esteemed emperor. After taking in Southern Qi, and Former Wei also for the most part having gotten beaten into shards, quite a few small countries in the surrounding even voluntarily had their territory offered to Qi Yuan. The current Qi Yuan was truly powerful, a true celestial empire. As the emperor, he was not just the ruler in name, but also in reality, and no one can threaten his position. That’s why, he can just do whatever he wanted.

Under this kind of circumstance, who would disregard her Highness’s likes and dislikes? One has to know, her Highness has always been rational, self-disciplined, and self-restrained. Even when having power in hand, she has also never appointed people through nepotism, eliminating dissidence. Even though knowing that she liked plants and flowers, she’s also issued a strict order, whoever dares to use this to curry favor, there will just be offense and no merit, only punishment and no reward.

Thus, to only express her likes and dislikes in this area, it can only mean that on this matter, she quite minded. As such, whether it’s the future prospects, or beauties, one better choose carefully. Don’t say something like one’s abilities were outstanding, so what if a bit fickle and lustful. Qi Yuan’s population right now wasn’t just a couple hundred thousand. Having greatly developed in education, talented people came forth in large numbers, so how many would become officials. In this way, there were truly too many people that can replace you, and there will inevitably be those that can restrain themselves.

Wanting to marry an influential family noble daughter for the sake of one’s future prospects, then have one’s original childhood sweetheart and whatnot taken in as a concubine, being sweet and intimate, not having the main wife taken seriously, and the main wife, because of various reasons, continuously stifled and sullen, this kind of situation, it was better if not known, but if known, never mind one’s future prospect, everything will be gone. Don’t assume that you can just have a woman ‘locked up’ in the rear court for a lifetime. Jing Wan had given ‘assignments’ to the various regions’ highest ranking official’s madams, occasionally ‘greeting’ the women of the other officials’ rear court. Their husbands served the country, so their contributions also can’t go unnoticed, no?

This move of Jing Wan’s, for the most part, was praised by all the madams. In a certain sense, they can be said to be following her lead. As for those unique individuals that have gotten poisoned too deeply by the ‘three obeys and four virtues’[1], believing that Jing Wan wasn’t virtuous, who would bother with them. Even if voluntarily lifting someone into their own husband’s room, their man may not necessarily accept their ‘good intentions’. After all, their good intentions would just incur the empress’s dislike.

All in all, Jing Wan smoothly and steadily passed her days in this way.

Time passed very quickly, the years flashing by. In an instant, another five years have passed. Our little crown prince has also grown into an elegant young man. En, how to put it, he actually also became a bit rough.

In these five years, he has been out traveling the whole time, simply not once setting foot in the capital. He’d gone to the most desolate and impoverished places, and naturally, have also been to the most flourishing and the most wealthiest places, having seen people with faces like dried bark in ragged clothes, also having seen people with a plump figure squandering money like dirt. He has eaten exotic delicacies and luxurious dishes, and has also had plain tea, coarse gruel, and wild vegetables. He has seen the most beautiful scenery in the world, and has also seen the most abandoned and ruined land. There was further the various types of people, not only just seeing the beautiful and ugly of the outer appearance, but further seeing the good and evil of the heart. There were the good brothers that shared the trials and tribulations in life and death, and there were also the shameless and despicable people that would stab behind the back. He even experienced his first awakening of love, just unfortunately, the situation at the time was a bit special. He had nothing on him, completely penniless, not even having a decent set of clothes. As such, not that surprisingly, he just got disdained, obtaining his imperial father’s former evaluation in the past: ‘Having no good points aside from good looks.’

By the time the people by his side found him, not one wasn’t filled with indignation, and the girl’s family seemingly also realized his out of the ordinary status, their attitude somewhat changing. However, the crown prince just had his first awakening of love, and not developing deep feelings. Prior to that, he’d already experienced many many things. There was anger, there was pain, there was grief, and there was joy. And after experiencing some bittersweetness, it was also more or less enough. As such, after realizing that that girl wasn’t really as wonderful as he’d thought, he gave up quite cleanly, his state of mind also tranquil, blocking the people by his side, not letting them give them trouble, just clapping his hands and directly leaving.

Of course, these five years were actually still far from enough. He still had many many places he hasn’t seen and experienced before. However, his experiences were also quite ample. Since his imperial father and imperial mother have given the order, he could only obediently return to the capital. He’d long missed his imperial mother, and moreover, regardless whether it was his study companion, or his cousins, they’ve already reached marriageable age. Their family were probably already anxiously waiting. That’s why, there was indeed no reason for them to continue staying out.

Stepping through the capital’s city gates, the crown prince carried a bit of carefreeness and nonchalant, appearing very tranquil, carrying a faint smile. And for no reason at all, in terms of appearance and temperament, he highly overlapped with the other him, appearing gentle and harmless, but in reality? Only the people following by his side were the most clear. His Highness the Crown Prince right now absolutely can’t be underestimated.

TN: All

When he’d left, there wasn’t any fanfare, so when returning, it was also without a sound.

[1] The Confucian moral injunctions for women, namely: obey in turn three men, the father, husband, and son, plus the four virtues of morality, physical charm, propriety in speech, and efficiency in needlework.