In the end, Chu Zhao and Shen Ziqin didn’t get to go flower viewing.
It rained all day afterward, and the next day, Princess Dongning moved into Prince Qin’s residence with her attendants and luggage. Chu Zhao and Shen Ziqin spent the day welcoming her.
With no way to go out for flowers, Chu Zhao simply “borrowed” a few precious blooms from the third prince, placing a couple of pots in Mingyue Pavilion and another in the west garden for Dongning, enjoying them behind closed doors.
The holiday was over in the blink of an eye.
After years of hardship outside the capital and a year of idleness since returning, Chu Zhao, now an adult prince, finally appeared again at court.
No matter what kind of looks others gave him, Chu Zhao remained calm and composed.
On the way to morning court, he made a point to greet the Marquis of Yin Nan.
His greeting was pointed, aimed right at the Marquis’s sore spot: “Ziqin is now a Reader-in-waiting at the Hanlin Academy. Both your sons are now officials-congratulations, Marquis.”
The Marquis’s expression was priceless. Even with his face dark as iron, with colleagues all around offering congratulations, he had no choice but to force a smile for Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao was in great spirits: Excellent-I’ll be sure to tell Shen Ziqin about this later so he can enjoy it too.
After court, Chu Zhao headed straight for the Patrol Battalion with Black Hawk.
The Patrol Battalion’s main camp was on the northern outskirts of the city, with a large training ground for drills and assemblies. Once there, Chu Zhao summoned everyone present in the camp.
Deputy Commander Cui Qingshan was absent-he had the day off.
On Chu Zhao’s first day, Cui Qingshan had deliberately submitted a leave request in advance. Was it intentional, or just coincidence?
He’d probably expected a promotion, but had been cut off by Chu Zhao’s sudden appointment-no wonder he was upset. Chu Zhao understood; he’d already investigated the Patrol Battalion and figured Cui Qingshan would only be a minor annoyance.
The emperor had left Cui Qingshan in place to balance Chu Zhao, so the best way to reassure the emperor was simply to ignore Cui Qingshan.
Once everyone was assembled, Chu Zhao scanned the group and immediately noticed three especially conspicuous men.
All three were disheveled, clearly dressed in a hurry, their faces and necks flushed nearly purple. Chu Zhao paused and called them out.
They staggered forward, reeking of alcohol.
Chu Zhao leaned back slightly, subtly avoiding the stench, and asked in a casual tone, “You three finished your shift for today?”
The Patrol Battalion operated on a squad rotation system, with day and night shifts. Some people stayed in the camp for convenience, so sleeping or relaxing there was normal.
Faced with his question, two were still drunk, while the third trembled nervously, stammering-a clear sign of guilt.
And guilt meant there was a story.
Black Hawk stepped forward, barking, “He’s talking to you!”
The most sober of the three flinched and stammered, “N-no, we still…”
He couldn’t even get the words out. A nearby officer, unable to watch any longer, stepped out and saluted. “Your Highness, their squad is due to go on duty in two quarters of an hour-they should be getting ready.”
Chu Zhao’s pleasant tone cooled. “Oh?”
“Two quarters of an hour-is that enough to sober up? If you go on duty like this, aren’t you afraid you’ll pass out in the street?”
He even smiled slightly. Banter was common among soldiers, but at this moment, no one dared treat Chu Zhao’s words as a joke.
Because in the next instant, Chu Zhao’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold command: “Take them away-twenty lashes each.”
The two who were still drunk instantly sobered up and dropped to their knees, begging for mercy. Too weak to stand, their knees hit the ground hard, making everyone wince.
“If every mistake could be forgiven, what’s the point of rules?” Chu Zhao said coldly. “I just memorized the Patrol Battalion’s regulations. For dereliction of duty, depending on the severity, the lightest punishment is twenty lashes and a month’s pay docked. I’m not wrong, am I?”
The officer knew how to handle things and personally dragged the three away, stripping off their jackets and whipping them right there. The sound of the whip on flesh and the accompanying screams left the rest of the camp in terrified silence.
For most, Chu Zhao had been a legendary figure-some said he pacified the borders and protected the nation, others that he was ruthless and unfeeling. Today, for the first time, he stood before them in person.
Chu Zhao’s weapon of choice was a narrow, four-foot blade with a black scabbard and a golden dragon coiled around it. He planted the blade before him, sitting with authority, and as the screams rang out, he spoke calmly.
“Since I’m new here, let me tell you my rules. I hate trouble, so as long as you don’t cause me trouble, I won’t cause you any. Do your jobs, and after your shift, do as you please-drink, roll around, whatever. I’m not blind to harmless little issues.”
“But if you can’t even do your basic job, those three are your example. I wanted to talk nicely today, but they insisted on making me act. Really asking for it.”
How did things get so lax? What has Cui Qingshan been doing while in charge lately?
“The Patrol Battalion is responsible for the security of the capital. I won’t talk about lofty ambitions, but all of you have families here in the city. The safety of the capital is in your hands-none of you want your families to be ashamed when people mention the Patrol Battalion, do you?”
Chu Zhao’s gaze swept over every face: “Shouldn’t good men be the pride of their families?”
A wind swept across the camp, rattling the racks of gleaming weapons. After half a year of chaos and slackness, the Patrol Battalion, under Prince Qin’s words and blade, once again felt the chill of iron in the air.
Some men’s eyes lit up as they raised their heads with pride, while others lowered theirs, already feeling guilty after just a few words.
Chu Zhao had been dealing with soldiers since he was fifteen-elegant scholar-generals, streetwise ruffians, he’d seen them all. His ability to lead wasn’t just talent; it was also forged through experience.
When the three men’s screams finally stopped, Chu Zhao sheathed his blade at his waist: “Tonight, Jinxiu Pavilion is reserved. I’m treating everyone to music, fine wine, and food-eat, drink, and enjoy to your heart’s content, all on my tab. For those on duty tonight who can’t go, each will get a jug of good wine and a roast goose from me to enjoy after their shift.”
Jinxiu Pavilion was one of the best restaurants in the capital. The owner was shrewd, with a big stage and famous musicians, offering food, drink, and entertainment-more refined than a typical tavern, and soon became the go-to place for hosting honored guests.
With its high standards, the cost of entry wasn’t cheap-not everyone could afford to dine there on their own.
The officer who’d spoken up earlier was quick-witted and led the others in a loud chorus: “Thank you, Your Highness!”
The rest echoed: “Thank you, Your Highness!”
Their voices rang out, strong and united.
Chu Zhao’s lips curled in a casual smile: “We’re all brothers here-no need to be so formal. I’ll always have your backs, and I rely on you to do your jobs. Let’s work together and share both the good and the bad.”
Just this first meeting was enough for everyone to understand Chu Zhao’s style. From now on, they’d know how to measure themselves and where the boundaries lay.
The other officers in the camp were quietly shocked-no wonder Prince Qin was the Grand Marshal. With just a few moves, it looked like the Patrol Battalion was about to change completely.
Chu Zhao balanced strictness and kindness, unconcerned about what anyone might be thinking. He asked to see the Battalion’s roster-if not for those three drunks, his first day would have been even smoother.
Once the foundation was set, everything else could be handled gradually. Surely he wouldn’t run into any overtime trouble on his very first day-he was still a bit confident in his luck.
Little did he know, in just a few hours, those words would come back to haunt him like a boomerang.
For now, let Prince Qin enjoy a moment of leisure.
*
While Chu Zhao had already been at work for some time, Mingyue Pavilion at Prince Qin’s residence was still filled with a peaceful atmosphere.
Princess Dongning stood in the courtyard, tense and a little anxious.
Cautious by nature, he felt that since he’d entered Prince Qin’s residence, he must follow the rules and never let his royal brother or sister-in-law think him impolite. So he got up early and, timing it just right, went to Mingyue Pavilion to greet Shen Ziqin.
But he hadn’t expected to arrive too early-Shen Ziqin wasn’t up yet.
Dongning had come at exactly the hour of Chen, worried he might be late, but was greeted by Xiao Dong’s awkward face: “Shizi isn’t well and usually doesn’t get up until the end of the hour.”
Poor Dongning, the little overachiever, who’d always gotten up before dawn and gone to bed late, never imagined anyone could sleep until the end of the hour!
Dongning was nervous, but quick-witted, and immediately said, “I don’t want to disturb my sister-in-law’s rest-I’ll just wait here until he gets up.”
Meaning: please don’t wake him on my account, and don’t make things difficult for Xiao Dong.
But Xiao Dong couldn’t just let him stand in the courtyard: “Princess, you’re of noble birth, and the morning dew is heavy. You can’t stay outside-let me bring you tea and snacks, please come in.”
Dongning felt it was his own fault for not checking first, but stubbornly insisted on staying: “No, I’ll just wait here.”
Every imperial prince was stubborn in his own way.
When Shen Ziqin finally got up and heard Dongning was waiting, his sleepy mind instantly cleared.
“This child… Quickly bring him inside and say it’s on my orders. Ask the palace maids what Dongning likes to eat and bring him breakfast.”
Shen Ziqin hurried to get himself ready.
He’d been thinking that, now he had a job, he should start getting up early, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. Every night, right on time, his eyelids would droop, his mind would fog, and he couldn’t get anything done.
He used to be a high-achieving office worker-how far he’d fallen.
He quickly finished getting ready and went to the next room, where he found that the food and snacks on the table were untouched-Dongning had only sipped some tea.
So polite.
When Shen Ziqin appeared, Dongning immediately tried to stand, but Shen Ziqin pressed him back down as he passed: “Sit, no need to stand on ceremony.”
Shen Ziqin sat across from him. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
Dongning nodded cautiously.
“There’s no rule in the prince’s residence about daily greetings-you can relax a bit. Sorry to have kept you waiting today.”
In truth, Shen Ziqin wasn’t sure if there was such a rule, but since Chu Zhao never enforced it, he took that as “no,” which seemed perfectly reasonable.
Dongning quickly shook his head. “It has nothing to do with you, Royal Sister-in-law. I acted on my own and should be the one to apologize.”
Clearly, Dongning hadn’t really listened to what Shen Ziqin just said. Shen Ziqin sighed helplessly. “You didn’t do anything wrong-there’s no need to be so… well, formal with me.”
Dongning had followed the Empress Dowager’s instructions since childhood, always speaking and acting with great caution, terrified that a single misstep could spell disaster. In an unfamiliar environment, he instinctively kept himself as unobtrusive as possible.
A child like this was truly pitiful.
Shen Ziqin sighed.
Having never experienced much affection growing up, Shen Ziqin couldn’t help but soften toward such a well-behaved, pitiable child.
Shen Ziqin thought over his plans for the day: he’d spent the last two days holed up working on strategies, and today Bai Junxing was coming by, having finished the calligraphy he’d promised to write for Shen Ziqin.
Originally, Shen Ziqin planned to host Bai Junxing at the prince’s residence, but decided instead to change the meeting spot and use the opportunity to take Dongning out for a bit of fresh air.
He had no experience caring for children, so there was only so much he could do-but if he could help the child relax, even a little, that would be good.
“Bai Xiao said a brother-sister duo recently arrived at Xinyue Teahouse. They sing beautifully. Dongning, how about I take you to listen?”
Speaking to a child, Shen Ziqin couldn’t help but use a coaxing tone. Dongning hadn’t expected Shen Ziqin would take time to accompany him and was both surprised and delighted.
Dongning even expressed his happiness with caution: “Of course I’d like that.”
Shen Ziqin said, “Good. Xiao Dong, go send a message to Lord Bai that we’ll meet at Xinyue Teahouse today instead.”
Xiao Dong: “Yes.”
Dongning realized his royal sister-in-law was easygoing and very kind to him. After a moment’s hesitation, he worked up the courage to ask, “Sister-in-law, which Lord Bai is this?”
“Lord Bai Junxing.”
Dongning replied obediently, “So it’s Lord Bai Junxing. I’ve read his poems-though I don’t recognize many characters or understand the meaning, they sound very nice when read aloud.”
Shen Ziqin didn’t call out his modesty-Dongning claimed not to understand, but he probably understood plenty.
Other people’s six-year-olds were still playing in the dirt, but he was already a budding palace intrigue contender, trained by the Empress Dowager.
Emperor Cheng’an was useless, but his children were all outstanding-sometimes fate really worked in mysterious ways.
After breakfast and medicine, and a bit of sitting around, Shen Ziqin took Dongning out-not by carriage or sedan, but just walking.
Dongning followed half a step behind, strictly observing etiquette. Shen Ziqin pursed his lips, then reached out: “Want to hold hands, Dongning?”
Dongning was startled at first. Shen Ziqin saw a flash of joy in his eyes, quickly suppressed, but then Dongning carefully placed his hand in Shen Ziqin’s.
A child’s hand was small and light. As Shen Ziqin drew Dongning to his side, Dongning watched his face for any sign of impatience, but saw none, and finally relaxed a little.
He even squeezed Shen Ziqin’s hand in return.
Sensing the child’s tentative grip, Shen Ziqin smiled-finally, the child was starting to relax.
The mood much improved, Shen Ziqin led Dongning out. “By the way, when we’re out, let’s keep a low profile. Dongning, don’t call me ‘Royal sister-in-law’ in public.”
Dongning, quick and clever, immediately switched: “Alright, Sǎosao.”
Shen Ziqin: “…”
He’d meant to say, “You can call me ‘gege’ (big brother).”
“I’ll be good, Sǎosao.”
…Fine.
Sigh, the child was precocious and sensitive-if he insisted Dongning not call him ‘sister-in-law,’ it might make him anxious and overthink, which would be counterproductive.
Anyway, “brother” and “sister-in-law” were about the same generation, so it didn’t matter much.
For self-comfort, Shen Shizi was really good at rounding up.
—
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(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Obrigada pela tradução 😘💕