TGPSAC – Chapter 114

Her Highness the Grand Princess had given birth to a pair of phoenix twins, an occasion for universal celebration.

A river of rewards flowed from the Imperial Palace to the Grand Princess’s Residence. The supporters of Prince Bao’an’s faction were grinding their molars to dust. Surely His Majesty wasn’t actually going to name an Imperial Heir, was he?

The faces of the Grand Princess’s supporters, on the other hand, were split with grins. With a successor, they could truly contend for power. Otherwise, who would they be fighting for? For a legacy that would last only one generation?

This was the ancient way of thinking for many. Appointing an heir was also a means to strengthen the people’s sense of belonging, to show that the vast dynasty had a successor.

The importance of an heir was self-evident. It ensured a smooth transition of power and served as a tool to unite the ruling class, clarifying their object of loyalty. This, in turn, formed a stable administration, which was beneficial to the nation’s development.

Appointing an heir stabilized the hearts of the people and symbolized the continuation of the imperial lineage. It signaled that the imperial family’s rule would endure, preventing the court officials from entertaining improper thoughts.

On the third day after the children’s birth, Emperor Shengyuan had the Imperial Clan Registry add their names to the jade genealogy.

Emperor Shengyuan’s favoritism was obvious. The older sister was not given a name, while the younger Qian Yuan sister was named Yu Chengzhao.

The character “Zhao” meant the bright light of the sun. The Great Zhou Dynasty had only one sun, and that was the emperor. It also implied that the child’s future would be boundlessly bright.

The name Chengzhao meant “to inherit the sun’s brilliance,” which was as good as telling everyone that Guiyi would one day inherit the Great Zhou.

As for Chenchen, Yu Jiuzhou named her Zhaoyue.

If Guiyi was the light of the sun, then Zhaoyue was the light of the moon. “Yue” not only meant “moon” but also referred to a mythical, precious pearl.

Yu Jiuzhou wanted to express that even if Chenchen was not valued by the emperor, she was cherished by the Grand Princess’s Residence.

They treated their children with equal love.

Yu Chengzhao, Yu Zhaoyue.

Chi Wan murmured these two names as she arrived at the Imperial Palace.

She was here to offer thanks on behalf of her two children. Yu Jiuzhou was in her postpartum confinement and certainly couldn’t come herself.

Emperor Shengyuan saw Chi Wan’s arrival as a matter of course. He had bestowed so many gifts; not coming to express gratitude would be a sign of treacherous ambition.

If not for Emperor Shengyuan’s petty nature, Chi Wan would never have left Yu Jiuzhou’s side during her confinement.

A full confinement period lasted forty-five days, and it had only just begun.

Yu Jiuzhou refused to let anyone else help her bathe, so only Chi Wan could perform the task. And she was more than happy to do it. Wasn’t it only right to help one’s own wife wash her body?

She only hoped to get this over with quickly and return. It wasn’t just that Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t be without her; she couldn’t be without Yu Jiuzhou either.

Upon reaching Daming Palace, Wang Hai did not lead her to the Imperial Study, but to the emperor’s bedchamber.

Emperor Shengyuan had adopted a hands-off attitude toward state affairs, deliberately avoiding the war in Yanbei as if, by not asking, the conflict ceased to exist.

Even while his own daughter was recovering from childbirth, he had still entrusted state matters to Yu Jiuzhou.

Fortunately, Emperor Shengyuan hadn’t become so detestable as to be completely unreasonable. He had granted Chi Wan a noble title, appointed her as the Vice Minister of War, and allowed her to enter the Grand Secretariat.

Thus, the responsibility of presiding over the Grand Secretariat’s discussions fell to her.

Given Yu Jiuzhou’s current condition, it was impossible for her to meet with the cabinet ministers. Chi Wan was now representing Yu Jiuzhou.

Aside from a few matters that absolutely required Yu Jiuzhou’s decision, she had become the backbone of the Grand Secretariat.

Chi Wan’s approach in the cabinet was to listen more and speak less, only intervening when there were clear problems.

It could be said that Chi Wan was now juggling a mountain of responsibilities: attending to the Grand Princess and presiding over the Grand Secretariat. Thankfully, Gao Zheng had fully committed to their cause; for the sake of his granddaughter’s noble title, he had completely sided with the Grand Princess’s Residence.

Chi Wan just hoped Emperor Shengyuan would be brief and let her return soon.

Just before she entered, Wang Hai suddenly whispered, “His Majesty wants to move the capital.”

That single sentence left Chi Wan utterly thunderstruck. Move the capital? He really just did whatever came to mind.

Historically, moving a capital was either due to political necessity or a crisis.

The Tang Dynasty moved its capital nine times, all to escape the ravages of war.

Oh, and there was Li Zhi. Although he never officially moved the capital to Luoyang, he had effectively shifted the center of government there to escape the influence of the old officials from the Zhenguan era, especially his uncle and the Guanlong clique.

Li Zhi moved the central government to Luoyang so he could be his own master.

Zhu Di’s move was not to escape war either. It was because his power base was in the north, which allowed him to consolidate his rule and defend the border, truly becoming the “Son of Heaven who guards the nation’s gate.” He also wanted to create a “land where the dragon rises” to prove the legitimacy of his succession.

Emperor Shengyuan certainly couldn’t be compared to those two. So what was his reason? Could it be because of the war in Yanbei?

Setting aside the fact that Beining had yet to break through the Yanbei defense line, even if they did, there was still the Dragon Guard Army and the Capital Garrison. This was like the commander-in-chief running away at the very start of a war.

If the emperor were to move the capital, to be the first to flee, what would the people of the realm think? It was simply absurd.

The moment Chi Wan saw Emperor Shengyuan, she knew his life was drawing to a close.

His face was covered in many new age spots. Though he was a rather portly man, the flesh on his face sagged, and his entire being exuded an aura of death.

It was currently the first month. According to the timeline, Emperor Shengyuan had only two months left to live.

As usual, Emperor Shengyuan first put her down a bit before offering some rewards.

The classic carrot-and-stick approach, as if that would make people serve him with their whole hearts.

After spending so much time with Yu Jiuzhou, she had developed her own understanding of how to manage subordinates. Within the rules, there must be warmth. One could not be cold and rigid, adhering only to regulations, but one also could not stray from them. It was a matter of balance. As a superior, one needed to master this to earn undying loyalty—except, of course, from the natural-born traitors.

Just as Chi Wan thought she was about to be dismissed, Emperor Shengyuan suddenly said, “We intend to move the capital to Jiangning. What are your thoughts?”

So he wanted to move the capital to the south. Compared to Shengjing, Jiangning was indeed a fine place, and it wasn’t too far from the East Sea.

But with the Xu family there, the Wokou pirates certainly couldn’t break through. They might act arrogantly in the nearby waters, but they lacked the strength to enter Jiangning.

Given the distance between Jiangning and the East Sea, the Duke of Xu could reach it in a day and a night of hard riding. The fact that Emperor Shengyuan was willing to go there showed he was dead set on moving the capital.

Emperor Shengyuan despised the Duke of Xu. To be willing to get closer to him, even rely on him, could only mean one thing: he was afraid.

He truly believed Beining could break through. Someone must have been whispering things in the emperor’s ear.

Chi Wan feigned surprise. “Move the capital?”

She pretended to take a moment to recover before saying, “Moving the capital is a matter of utmost importance. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider.”

“You disagree?” Emperor Shengyuan’s eyes turned cold.

This wasn’t a matter of agreement or disagreement. Moving the capital wasn’t something that could be decided on a whim.

The national treasury was currently empty. The southward migration of the emperor, nobles, ministers, and even the army would be a massive expense that the Ministry of Revenue certainly couldn’t afford right now.

Setting aside the issue of money, what kind of impact would this southward move have on the morale of the soldiers fighting in the north? The emperor himself was leaving, so who were they fighting for? Was there any point in fighting this war anymore?

Both the army and the common people would panic. And what might they do in a state of panic? The emperor hadn’t considered any of this.

An army with no will to defend its homeland was very likely to surrender or desert. These deserters would turn into marauding soldiers, preying on their own people, or perhaps occupying mountains to become local scourges. In short, soldiers whose faith had been shattered would turn their spears against their own countrymen.

It wouldn’t just be a matter of losing the will to fight; it would bring disaster to the entire region.

And the common people. They would begin to flee. In the process of becoming refugees, anything could happen.

Robbery, murder, selling one’s children—even exchanging children to eat them. Unable to bear eating their own child, they would trade with others, eating someone else’s while another ate theirs.

The lives and deaths of the common people were not within Emperor Shengyuan’s scope of consideration at all.

Chi Wan’s mind raced. If she couldn’t change Emperor Shengyuan’s mind, there was only one other way. “If Your Majesty has already decided, then your subjects will naturally comply.”

She didn’t even try to dissuade him. With a person like Emperor Shengyuan, persuasion was useless.

Emperor Shengyuan studied her. “You may return for now.”

He said no more, but Chi Wan could see his resolve.

If she told Yu Jiuzhou about this, it would only add to her worries.

Chi Wan thought for a moment, then spoke again. “Your Majesty, moving the capital is not easy. First, there is the considerable expense. Then there is the collapse of military morale and the flight of the people. Before moving the capital, this subject believes we must first devise a way to stabilize the hearts of the army and the people of Great Zhou.”

Emperor Shengyuan frowned, his tone growing impatient. “What are you trying to say?”

“Appoint an heir.”

“Insolence!”

Chi Wan was fearless. The emperor could leave if he wanted, but the hearts of the army and the people must not be thrown into chaos.

Besides, Yu Jiuzhou would certainly not leave, which meant she wouldn’t either. Even if the emperor blamed her, she had to say it. “Your Majesty may go to Jiangning, but not under the pretext of moving the capital. It should be in the name of recuperating from ill health. It would be inadvisable to take too many ministers and troops. The capital must remain Shengjing; Jiangning must absolutely not become the capital. If the central government is to remain in Shengjing, then there must be an heir. Her Highness the Grand Princess is in her confinement, and the children are still small. They cannot leave the capital. The Grand Princess can continue to lead the central government officials in the capital. With the Grand Princess here, the morale of the army and the people will not fall into chaos for the time being. But the Grand Princess is not the heir, after all. Over time, chaos will still ensue. Therefore, this subject implores Your Majesty to appoint an heir to remain in the capital.”

Emperor Shengyuan narrowed his eyes. Displeasure was written on his face, but he had clearly taken her words to heart.

This was the best solution—to openly repair the plank roads while secretly crossing at Chencang.

The capital would still be Shengjing, and the central government would still be here. In that case, the Great Zhou would not fall into too much disarray, because the future emperor of Great Zhou would be here.

It would simply be that the current emperor was in poor health and had gone south to recuperate, not that he had abandoned Yanbei, the capital, or the entire north.

It was an excuse, a way to save face and provide an explanation to the people and the soldiers.

The soldiers were fighting on the front lines; the emperor couldn’t be the one to stab them in the back.

Emperor Shengyuan had merely been blinded by the situation in Yanbei. The moment he heard his reputation was at stake, he sobered up.

His clarity was not born of concern for the people or the soldiers, but for his own reputation.

“There is reason in what you say. We have been diligent our entire life and must not ruin our reputation at this juncture.”

He still dreamed of being a wise ruler whose name would be recorded for a thousand years. He absolutely could not let things go wrong now.

It was a good thing his reputation still constrained him, keeping him from being completely reckless.

Chi Wan was momentarily stunned, then realized that Emperor Shengyuan had changed his mind for the sake of his reputation.

A ball of fury rose in her heart, but for the sake of the bigger picture, she suppressed it. “Your Majesty, you may go to Jiangning, but you cannot move the capital. For the foundation of the Great Zhou, and for Your Majesty’s sagely reputation, this subject implores you to appoint an heir soon to remain in Shengjing.”

Emperor Shengyuan looked at her and asked, “Who do you think would be suitable? Prince Bao’an? The Prince of Shunchéng? Or the Imperial Heir?”

With each name he spoke, he carefully watched the changes in Chi Wan’s expression, trying to read something from her face.

Chi Wan lowered her eyes, making her expression unreadable. Emperor Shengyuan raised an eyebrow in disappointment and waited for her answer.

She thought for a moment and said, “When the ruler is young, the state is in doubt. Prince Bao’an is approaching thirty, and the Prince of Shunchéng will soon have her capping ceremony, while the Imperial Heir is too young.”

Prince Bao’an was older and could immediately assume the duties of an emperor, but that was not good for Emperor Shengyuan.

Emperor Shengyuan didn’t quite believe that Prince Bao’an would recognize him as a father. Once he grasped imperial power, there was no telling what he might do.

History was full of examples of successors whose first act upon ascending the throne was to legitimize their own father, posthumously naming him emperor.

Most importantly, Prince Bao’an gave him a strange, unsettling feeling.

At first, he hadn’t competed for anything, but then suddenly he was the only one left; all his rivals were dead.

He had practically become the sole candidate for heir, and then he became the Duke of Xin’s son-in-law, instantly transforming into a powerful contender.

Prince Bao’an had played a significant role in the deaths of Prince Zhongshan and Prince Ying. He was not the unworldly man he pretended to be.

From then on, Emperor Shengyuan had remained suspicious of him, viewing him with the greatest malice.

In the previous life, Yu Jiuzhou had done all these things, allowing Prince Bao’an to maintain his persona. In this life, his so-called persona of a virtuous and unworldly prince had all but shattered.

In the last life, Emperor Shengyuan had truly believed he was harmless. In this life, he had personally done so many things; if the emperor still believed him, he would have been an emperor for all these years for nothing.

As for the Prince of Shunchéng, her age was just right. She would have her capping ceremony in three years, making her a good choice. But she was very close with her family, and it was foreseeable that she would not disavow her own mother.

Between Prince Bao’an and the Prince of Shunchéng, the former was too calculating and ruthless, saying one thing and doing another. It was hard to trust such a person. He schemed too much, and Emperor Shengyuan couldn’t help but feel that if his posthumous affairs were left in his hands, he would do countless things to ruin his reputation for political gain.

As for the latter, she wouldn’t do anything ruthless, but she would also never recognize him as her father. That was the crux of the problem.

The most suitable candidate was still the Imperial Heir. Aside from being young, the Imperial Heir was perfect in every way. She was his own grandchild, so she couldn’t posthumously ennoble another emperor. Her surname was Yu; could she ennoble someone with the surname Chi as emperor? That would delegitimize her own claim to the throne, and the entire court would never agree to it.

Emperor Shengyuan felt he could still live for another ten years. By then, the Imperial Heir would be ten years old. With her mother, the Grand Princess, serving as regent for another ten years, it was not unfeasible.

After weighing all the options, Emperor Shengyuan had an idea in mind and waved Chi Wan away.

Who knew what Emperor Shengyuan was planning? All Chi Wan knew was that not long after she left the palace, the emperor summoned several old ministers, all of whom looked very grave.

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Chi Wan returned to the Grand Princess’s Residence. The first thing she did was help Yu Jiuzhou wash her body. The heated chamber was warm, so there was no fear of catching a chill.

In a couple of days, she would help Yu Jiuzhou wash her hair. People said one shouldn’t wash their hair during confinement, but that was because there were no hair dryers in ancient times. Of course, the Great Zhou didn’t have them either, but she was enough—a purely human-powered drying machine. Her Highness the Grand Princess deserved to have one.

During the process, Chi Wan recounted everything that had happened in the Imperial Palace, not missing a single word.

Yu Jiuzhou frowned. “You were truly bold.”

To just bluntly talk back to the emperor like that. It was a good thing she reacted quickly afterward and smoothed things over.

Chi Wan said seriously, “That’s because I knew Your Highness would never abandon the people or the soldiers. Since Your Highness would certainly choose to stay, there were some things I had to say, and some things we had to fight for.”

The words she had spoken were not for nothing. She had to make Emperor Shengyuan think things through.

“By the way, I asked Wang Hai. His Majesty met with Prince Bao’an. And before the Duke of Xin left the capital, he spent half a shichen alone with him.”

Security in the palace had been very tight recently. There were many things Wang Hai didn’t dare to pass on. Since Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou weren’t going to the palace, he certainly wouldn’t risk having someone bring messages out. If it were leaked, his fate would be the same as Cheng Jiao’s.

Yu Jiuzhou lay back on the bed and asked, “Do you think moving the capital was their idea?”

“Perhaps it wasn’t just the two of them. There were others.”

When the Noble Consort’s people had poured oil on the road, Chi Wan had immediately retaliated. Now, the Noble Consort was just a consort in the Cold Palace.

There must still be people loyal to Prince Bao’an in the palace, and in high positions. Ordinary palace servants couldn’t get close to the emperor, let alone say such things to him.

Many people had access to the emperor, so investigating this was pointless now.

What was important was that she could see the emperor had already made up his mind to move the capital.

Yu Jiuzhou patted her head. “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter who it was anymore. You did the right thing in this matter. Moving the capital is out of the question, and the central government cannot leave the capital. But the emperor can.”

The emperor wanted to leave Shengjing, but he couldn’t take the central government with him. He could go, but he had to leave the power of the central government behind.

Whether the emperor would establish a new central government in Jiangning later was not important, at least not for now. It couldn’t be established in a short time anyway, and besides, Emperor Shengyuan would be dead soon.

Then Shengjing would forever be the capital.

Chi Wan thought for a moment and asked, “Your Highness, do you think he will name Guiyi as the Imperial Heir?”

“He will.”

Yu Jiuzhou was certain. “Because he thinks he can still live for another ten years, by which time Guiyi will have grown up.”

Guiyi would be the Imperial Heir, and the Regent Grand Princess and the Imperial Heir would remain in Shengjing. The emperor would be relinquishing his imperial power to recuperate in Jiangning.

But he was still the emperor and could reassemble the central government at any time. However, his life was short. Once he was gone, they would be in the capital without someone watching over their shoulders, free to act as they saw fit.

“What about Prince Bao’an?” Chi Wan was unsure about what would happen to him.

If he went with the emperor, he could hold the emperor hostage to command the nobles should something happen. But he was a regressor, so he naturally knew the emperor didn’t have long to live.

He had incited the emperor to move the capital, with the emphasis on “moving the capital.” If Jiangning became the new capital, it would be almost like a fresh start, a process from which he could gain many benefits.

Moreover, just as Yu Jiuzhou understood him, he also understood Yu Jiuzhou. He knew she wouldn’t leave the capital with the emperor, especially since she was in confinement and the children were too young for a long journey.

If Yu Jiuzhou were to go to Jiangning as well, and something happened to the children on the road, then the position of Imperial Heir would be void.

The journey was long. If Prince Bao’an pulled some tricks, there were too many ways the children could be lost.

Yu Jiuzhou could certainly see this point. So no matter what Prince Bao’an thought, they would not follow Emperor Shengyuan to move the capital.

In that case…

Yu Jiuzhou confirmed her thoughts. “When the emperor dies, if Prince Bao’an is the only one by his side, all he has to do is forge an imperial edict, and he will be the new emperor. Jiangning will be the new capital, and we will have no power base there. With legitimacy on his side, dealing with us would only be a matter of time.”

“So he will definitely go to Jiangning. For the sake of the throne, he has already resorted to any means necessary.”

But for his plan to succeed, two conditions had to be met: the capital had to be moved, and no heir could be appointed.

Even if neither condition was met, Prince Bao’an still stood to gain. By luring the emperor to Jiangning before he died, he would have far more room to maneuver than in the capital.

With Emperor Shengyuan in his hands, he could find a way to produce an imperial edict. In any case, it was better than being in Shengjing.

Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t guess the specifics of what Prince Bao’an and the Duke of Xin were planning, but the general direction was likely along these lines.

Chi Wan sat up straight. “Then should we still let Prince Bao’an leave?”

Yu Jiuzhou shook her head. “The emperor is dead set on leaving the capital. Since Prince Bao’an proposed this, he must have made preparations long ago. We can’t keep him here by force.”

“Should I send the Embroidered-Robe Guard to probe him?”

After all, she had long since deviated from the novel’s plot. Prince Bao’an was no fool, and he had the Duke of Xin by his side. It was normal for him to have developed other forces.

“There’s no need.” A wild idea flickered in Yu Jiuzhou’s mind.

Chi Wan thought about it and agreed. Prince Bao’an had experts by his side. Unless they sent someone even more skilled, it would be no different from sending them to their deaths.

What if they tried to stop Prince Bao’an through Emperor Shengyuan, using an imperial edict to prevent his departure?

No matter what, they had to try. They couldn’t just let Prince Bao’an achieve his goal.

Yu Jiuzhou understood Chi Wan’s thoughts, but she and Prince Bao’an had been rivals for years. They knew each other well. She knew Prince Bao’an would not fight a battle he wasn’t prepared for. He had everything ready.

But Chi Wan was also right. How would they know if they didn’t try? They couldn’t just watch Prince Bao’an leave.

In fact, Prince Bao’an’s departure might not be a bad thing, but it could also be a very bad thing.

Yu Jiuzhou hadn’t figured it out yet, so she pulled Chi Wan’s hand. “What do you want to do?”

“Forget it.”

In the end, Chi Wan abandoned her idea. “It’s best not to create more complications right now.”

She had just dissuaded the emperor from moving the capital, and he was now considering appointing an Imperial Heir. At this critical juncture, doing nothing was the best course of action.

Knowing Prince Bao’an, he wouldn’t have done any of this without being fully prepared.

To prevent Emperor Shengyuan from moving the capital and to ensure a smooth process for appointing the Imperial Heir, some things had to be endured.

Emperor Shengyuan was determined to go to Jiangning. The words she had spoken weren’t just to scare the emperor; she had been serious about the first part. After all, moving the capital would be a death sentence for the soldiers on the front lines and would throw the people of the north into chaos.

Since the emperor was determined to leave the capital, it absolutely could not be under the pretext of moving the capital, and an heir had to be appointed. This was the best way to stabilize the hearts of the army and the people.

For both public and private reasons, she could not act rashly at this time.

Yu Jiuzhou’s hand stroked Chi Wan’s head. “Don’t worry, I am here.”

If some things were destined to be unavoidable, then resistance was the only path.

Yu Jiuzhou was not one to be slaughtered at will. She would not let Chi Wan or her children fall into danger. More than that, she had to protect the millions of citizens of the Great Zhou.

Chi Wan nuzzled her head against her palm. “I will protect you too, Your Highness.”

Her Highness the Grand Princess protected the millions of citizens, and she would protect Her Highness the Grand Princess.

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