When it was time to perform before their father, he lost his nerve—what use were top martial arts grades then?
Emperor Xingwu tripped his eldest son with one foot, sending him sprawling.
He was about to shout for his son to try again, but saw the boy getting up, eyes a little red.
Was he hurt, or just feeling wronged?
It was a festival—Emperor Xingwu didn’t want to make his eldest son too miserable.
Seeing the second son already on his feet, he called him up next.
Qin Bing rolled up his sleeves and charged like a wolf cub.
When Father Emperor pinned his arms, he kicked.
When Father Emperor caught his legs, he lashed out with his elbow toward his father’s chest.
The more he fought, the wilder he got; the more he was thrown, the braver he became.
Even before Father Emperor could call him back, he’d already jumped up to attack again, tangling with Emperor Xingwu until the latter was sweating.
Finally, Emperor Xingwu twisted both his son’s arms, forcing him to kneel and immobilizing him.
Laughing, he asked, “Had enough?”
Qin Bing looked up and huffed, “Not enough! I still have strength!”
Emperor Xingwu increased the pressure, making Qin Bing yelp in pain, but he still shouted, “Not enough!”
Emperor Xingwu was very pleased with his second son’s spirit and let him continue, but this time he used real skill.
No more indulging his son’s wild moves—when Qin Bing pounced, he caught his arms and tossed him aside.
When Qin Bing tried to attack low, Emperor Xingwu sidestepped and slapped him on the back, making him eat dirt.
“Had enough?”
Emperor Xingwu squatted beside his son, poking his still-scrawny shoulder.
Qin Bing, his teeth aching from the fall, muttered, “…Enough.”
Emperor Xingwu laughed heartily and looked to his youngest son, who hadn’t gone yet.
Qin Ren: “……”
Yongkang, Qin Hong, and Qingyang all watched Qin Ren’s performance with concern.
Under three pairs of eyes, Qin Ren ran toward his father. Emperor Xingwu just raised a hand to receive him when Qin Ren dropped to his knees and looked up with a grin.
“Father Emperor, can I just surrender now?”
Emperor Xingwu: “……”
Of course not.
So it turned into a ridiculous scene of Qin Ren running in front, Emperor Xingwu chasing behind.
Because he refused to fight and tried to run, Qin Ren’s backside suffered several slaps from Father Emperor.
It felt like it was on fire when he stood, and when he brought his sister to rest with their mother, he leapt up as soon as he sat down, the pain like needles.
Only then did Qin Ren realize he was in trouble.
Consort Li wanted to check, but Qin Ren clutched his waistband and refused to take off his pants no matter what.
Consort Li could only send for the Imperial Physician.
Qin Ren persuaded his mother to let him see the physician alone.
When he lay face-down on the couch, ready for the doctor to help with his pants, he turned his head and saw his sister had followed him in.
Startled, he quickly called a halt and told her to leave.
Qingyang protested, “I just want to see how badly Third Brother is hurt.”
Qin Ren said, “It’s nothing. A little medicine and I’ll be fine. Be good—girls can’t look at boys’ backsides, or you’ll get a sty.”
Qingyang asked, “What’s a sty?”
Qin Ren pointed to his eye.
“It means you get a little bump on your eyelid. It’s ugly and it hurts.”
Qingyang was scared and obediently ran out.
Not long after, the Imperial Physician came out first, smiling as he reported that he’d applied medicine to the Third Prince.
With half a day’s rest and another application before bed, he’d be fine by morning.
Consort Li had the palace attendants escort the physician out and led her daughter back inside.
Qin Ren stood there adjusting his belt, giving his mother and sister an embarrassed smile.
Consort Li was both angry that Emperor Xingwu had been too rough and annoyed that her son had brought it on himself.
“Your father just wants to teach you martial arts. What harm is there in sparring with him?”
Qin Ren, feeling wronged, replied, “My skills are just average—does he really need to check? If I have to choose between being thrown to the ground and hurting all over, or just taking a few slaps, I’d rather be slapped.”
Consort Li: “……”
Qingyang, always interested in martial arts, chimed in, “I don’t want to learn wrestling. I don’t like wrestling.”
At dusk, Zhang Su, who had been away from the palace for three days, finally returned and headed straight for the Third Prince’s Chanyuan Palace.
He guessed that the Third Prince and the little princess were probably dining with Consort Li, but unexpectedly, the siblings were both at Chanyuan Palace.
So Zhang Su went to pay his respects to the two highnesses first.
Led in by Fuan Gonggong to the east side room, Zhang Su saw the Third Prince sprawled on the couch, and the little princess lying opposite him in exactly the same pose, propping her head up.
Between their heads was a chessboard.
Zhang Su said, “…This humble subject greets Your Highnesses.”
Qin Ren, on the verge of tears, rolled to the side and lay on his pillow.
“Come, play chess with my sister. I’ll watch you two.”
Zhang Su looked at the little princess.
Qingyang explained earnestly, “Third Brother got beaten by Father Emperor, so he can only lie down. I’m keeping him company by playing chess.”
Qingyang liked her Third Brother so much that she’d rather not go to her mother for dinner, just to stay by his side.
Qin Ren forced a smile for his sister.
“You’re the best, little sister.”
Zhang Su pulled up a chair in front of the couch and moved the chessboard over.
As he played chess with the little princess, he asked with concern, “May I ask why His Majesty punished Your Highness?”
Qin Ren couldn’t explain.
Qingyang answered, “Father Emperor wanted to wrestle with Third Brother, but Third Brother ran, and then Father Emperor caught him.”
Zhang Su: “……”
Qin Ren pressed his now-less-painful backside and smiled, “Enough about me. How have you been these past days?”
Qingyang stopped playing chess and stared at Zhang Su.
“Did you go to the lantern festival?”
Zhang Su answered honestly, “No, I stayed at home the whole time.”
Qin Ren was shocked.
“We can’t leave the palace even if we want to, but you went home and didn’t go out to play?”
Zhang Su replied, “I don’t think there’s anything fun outside.”
Qin Ren asked, “So what did you do at home?”
Zhang Su thought for a moment.
“Besides the three meals a day, I read, practiced riding, trained in martial arts, and chatted with my father, mother, and brothers when I had free time.”
Qin Ren: “……”
Qingyang asked, “You can ride a horse now?”
Zhang Su replied, “Yes. My father taught me.”
Qingyang asked, “Did the Duke teach you wrestling too?”
Zhang Su nodded.
Every time he went home, his father would instruct him in martial arts.
That was the skill passed down through generations of the Zhang family, including some military tactics.
Qingyang asked, “Can the Duke beat Commander Fan? Who’s stronger between them?”
Zhang Su hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
He only knew that Fan Zhong was a vanguard general, while his own father was the commander-in-chief.
The former was brave, the latter needed both wisdom and courage.
A few days later, Qingyang received a special reward from Father Emperor: a Gold Waist Token.
It was a bit smaller than the last waist token from Father Emperor, made of pure gold and engraved with a majestic Kirin.
In the center of the front were the characters “Qingyang Princess”; on the back, two lines of small characters: “Free to walk in the palace. Valid until Mid-Autumn, Xingwu Year Eleven.”
Emperor Xingwu instructed, “Only you can use this waist token. Except for the palace attendants who serve you, no one else can follow you to the front court.”
The eldest wouldn’t think of it, but the second and third sons might.
Qingyang asked, “Alright, then can I leave the palace?”
Emperor Xingwu laughed, “No, it just means you can go anywhere inside the palace.”
The little princess pouted, but Emperor Xingwu picked up a memorial and pretended not to see her.
When acting spoiled didn’t work, Qingyang had Jie Yu help her hang the Gold Waist Token at her waist and left.
From that day on, the little princess went to the front court whenever she had free time.
One day she might be at the Imperial Guards Office watching Fan Zhong assign or drill the guards; the next, at Dali Temple listening to officials analyze cases; another day at the Ministry of Revenue watching clerks work their abacuses; the next at the Imperial Cuisine Bureau inspecting fresh produce; or at Yichun Pavilion watching the performers practice their arts.
The officials, guards, and palace attendants all got used to it after a while.
After all, the little princess was very well-behaved and never disturbed their work.
After observing for a few days, Emperor Xingwu saw his daughter was sensible and ordered craftsmen to make her a light, convenient Step Sedan.
Two palace attendants could easily carry it, so if she got tired of walking, she could rest on it anytime.
The little princess studied in the mornings and toured the palace in the afternoons, living a busy and fulfilling life.
Before she knew it, mid-September had arrived.
On a rest day, Emperor Xingwu called his five children together and smiled, “Yongkang’s Princess Mansion is finished. Father Emperor will take you all to have a look?”
The three youngest were overjoyed.
The Crown Prince, Qin Hong, looked at his elder sister with more reluctance than before, for this meant her wedding was approaching.
Yongkang was both reluctant and excited.
A Princess Mansion—her very own home.
She couldn’t wait to see it.