Emperor Xingwu actually wanted his little daughter to see what fighting crickets was like, to satisfy the curiosity he guessed she might have heard about, and also not to waste the few crickets he had confiscated from the young men.
But after just one glance, the little girl lost interest, and Emperor Xingwu had no choice but to instruct Jie Yu to take the cage away and deal with it as he pleased.
The rain continued all night and finally stopped before dawn.
There were no lessons today.
The princes were all under house arrest.
The consorts and the Noble Consort, affected by the situation, would surely keep to their chambers in self-reflection.
Considering that the grass and lakeside outside were muddy from the rain, Qingyang stared at the rain dripping slowly under the eaves for a while and decided not to go out today.
While the Little Princess could remain uninvolved, the parents and elders of those noble sons punished by the Emperor were already gathered outside the Central Inner Palace at dawn, waiting to plead for forgiveness.
After the Royal Guards made the announcement, Han Yuan Palace sent two eunuchs: one to escort the officials to see Emperor Xingwu, and another to lead the womenfolk to see the Noble Consort.
Strictly speaking, young men fighting crickets was not a grave offense, and Emperor Xingwu’s punishment was lenient.
Thus, when meeting with these officials and their wives, both Emperor Xingwu and the Noble Consort focused on soothing them, expressing that the Emperor regarded the sons of his meritorious officials as his own, placing great expectations on them, hoping for both talent and virtue.
As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the harsher the discipline.
Otherwise, at most, he would have just scolded them verbally without resorting to whips or confinement.
The officials and their wives each expressed their gratitude and self-reproach, promising to discipline their unruly children more strictly in the future, and the matter was thus concluded.
But while other families could let it end, the Pingliang Marchioness could not do nothing.
She deliberately delayed, waiting until the other wives had left, leaving only herself and her daughter Yuan Jie.
Then the Lady Marquis of Pingqing began to weep and plead.
“Noble Consort, it’s all my fault for not teaching Chongli properly. Not only did he indulge himself, but he even involved the Second His Highness. Yesterday, after Xiuli returned home, I punished him harshly. He knows his mistake now. Please, for the sake of his nine years as Second His Highness’s study companion, beg His Majesty to allow him to continue in that role!”
The Second Prince was seventeen.
In three years, he would be of age to receive a title and serve.
By then, her son should also be able to enter the Imperial Army or one of the Four Grand Capital Garrisons like Qin Liang, the heir of Prince Yong, and earn rank through military merit.
This was both a tangible official position and a great honor bestowed by the Emperor.
How could she bear to watch her son lose all this over a cricket fight?
The Pingliang Marchioness truly felt the Emperor’s punishment was too harsh.
What boy doesn’t like to play?
Even setting aside her husband’s contributions in founding the nation, just his nine years defending Liangzhou should have counted for something.
The Emperor shouldn’t have disgraced their family like this.
The Noble Consort could hear the resentment in the Pingliang Marchioness’s sobs.
The Noble Consort almost wanted to laugh.
She already considered herself generous for not blaming the Yuan family after Yuan Chongli led her son astray.
And yet this woman wanted her to help plead for leniency?
Had she known Yuan Zhengli was only well-behaved inside the palace and showed his true colors outside, she would have begged the Emperor to assign her son a new study companion long ago!
“Does Madam think His Majesty’s punishment of Xiuli was unjust?”
The Noble Consort asked coldly.
The Pingliang Marchioness’s sobs halted, and she hurriedly replied, “I dare not…”
The Noble Consort said, “Since the Emperor’s judgment was fair, Madam need not say more. Withdraw.”
At this, the chief eunuch at her side stepped forward to escort the Pingliang Marchioness and her daughter out.
Unable to persist, the Pingliang Marchioness left with lingering resentment.
Resentment or not, she still needed to act for her son’s sake.
She quickly composed herself and spoke to her daughter.
“The Noble Consort hates your brother. Consort Li is even more resentful towards the Second Prince. This way, I’ll go beg Consort Li, and you go beg Qingyang Princess. If either is willing to help, it will be more effective than the Noble Consort.”
Yuan Jie’s eyes were firm.
“The Princess has always treated me kindly. She will definitely agree.”
Having reached an agreement, mother and daughter parted ways.
As regular visitors to the Central Inner Palace who accompanied the consorts and the Little Princess for tea and games, so long as they didn’t approach forbidden halls guarded by Royal Guards, no one would stop or question them.
Consort Li resided next to the Noble Consort.
The Pingliang Marchioness arrived first, standing respectfully outside the palace gates, waiting for word from the palace staff.
“Madam, the Marchioness must have been rebuffed by the Noble Consort and now comes to you, seeking to speak for Yuan Gongzi.”
Consort Li sighed.
“Don’t see her. Let her go.”
Her son was in the wrong.
Last night, the Emperor did not seek her out nor summon her, which meant he was angry.
At such times, Consort Li wouldn’t be foolish enough to approach the Emperor on behalf of Yuan Chongli and court his wrath.
Qingyang, however, allowed Yuan Jie to be brought before her.
Yuan Jie knelt upon entering, just as her mother had taught her, weeping and pleading.
The Little Princess could not bear to see her old playmate cry so miserably.
She had Jie Yu wet a cloth for Yuan Jie to wipe her face.
Once Yuan Jie calmed down, Qingyang spoke.
“If I plead for my Third Brother, Father won’t see me. Your Second Brother was the ringleader in the cricket fight. If I speak up for him, Father will punish me too. Do you want me to be confined as well?”
Yuan Jie said, “Impossible, the Emperor loves the Princess the most…”
Qingyang replied,
“Father loves me because I have always been sensible. If I stop being sensible, he won’t love me anymore.”
Yuan Jie continued to cry.
Qingyang continued handing her cloths through Jie Yu.
But Yuan Jie’s tears were not endless.
Soon, her sobs faded, and she began to peek at the Little Princess, who simply sat quietly on the chair, her bright, confused eyes fixed on her, as if curious about why she could cry so much.
Finally, Yuan Jie said,
“If the Princess won’t help, the Yuan family loses all face. I’ll never have the courage to come play with you again.”
Qingyang answered, “Your Second Brother made the mistake. What does that have to do with you? If I like you, I can still call you out to play. If anyone dares laugh at you, I’ll scold them for you.”
Yuan Jie: “…”
Mother and daughter, having failed, left the Central Inner Palace.
On their way out, they encountered the Grand Princess arriving with her maidservants.
The Pingliang Marchioness considered trying her luck with the Grand Princess, but Yongkang shot them a cold glance, her anger over the Crown Prince’s punishment clearly directed at the Yuan family.
The Pingqing Marchioness lowered her eyes and moved aside in fear.
Yongkang ignored them and continued forward.
The Grand Princess, Prince Yong, and Yong Prince Consort did not require announcement to enter the Central Inner Palace.
Yongkang first visited the Crown Prince, scolded Lü Wenrong through the door, and only after ensuring Wenrong would not let her in against the Crown Prince’s wishes did Yongkang give up on seeing her brother and went to find her sisters instead.
Relations matter.
Yongkang did not go directly to the back hall to find her elder sister but sat in the front guest hall, waiting.
She had not waited long when the sound of a child’s running footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Yongkang set down her teacup and looked up to see her nine-year-old sister run in, curiosity on her face, holding a small bamboo cage.
“Big Sister, you came at the perfect time! Let’s go catch crickets on the grasslands!”
Yongkang: “… No cricket catching allowed. Father just whipped the Crown Prince and the others for that. Didn’t you know?”
Qingyang: “I know. Second Brother and the others were punished because they gambled. We just won’t gamble.”
@ Infinite Good Stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City
Yongkang: “Still, you’re not allowed to catch them. I hate bugs, especially black ones.”
The Little Princess could only hand the bamboo cage to Jie Yu in disappointment.
After Jie Yu left, Yongkang led her younger sister to a chair, sat down, and held her shoulders.
“All three brothers were whipped. Doesn’t your heart ache?”
Qingyang nodded.
Yongkang: “Then should sister go ask Father to shorten their punishment to just three or five days? Father loves you the most. If he refuses, you can cry, and he’ll definitely give in.”
Qingyang: “But I can’t cry.”
Yongkang: “…Then think of the saddest thing possible. Try really hard.”
Qingyang: “…I don’t have any sad things.”
Yongkang: “…Did you see Third Brother’s injuries yesterday? He must have been in so much pain. Aren’t you sad?”
The Little Princess laughed.
“I saw. Three shallow whip marks. Third Brother said Father only scolded harshly, but didn’t really hit hard. A few days of medicinal ointment will heal it.”
Yongkang: “But you won’t see them for a whole month. Don’t you miss them?”
Qingyang: “I might miss them in the Palace, but there are so many fun places here, and Big Sister and Zhenzhen and the others are with me. Not seeing them isn’t a big deal.”
Yongkang: “…Big Sister misses them. In the capital, I had to enter the Palace just to see them, but here in the summer palace, we see each other every day. Now, thinking of the brothers being punished, I can’t enjoy my food or sleep, and I have no mood to play.”
Qingyang: “All right. I’ll go see Father. If I can’t cry, I’ll bite his arm.”
Yongkang cheered.
“What a good sister. Oh, right—if Father asks whether I taught you this, say you cried as soon as you saw me, said nothing except worry over their injuries, and only went because you couldn’t bear to see me in tears.”
The Little Princess agreed without hesitation.
Yongkang remained, waiting with her sister, while Jie Yu led the Little Princess toward Han Yuan Palace.
On the way, Jie Yu asked quietly,
“Is Your Highness really going to beg the Emperor, or are you only doing it because the Grand Princess insisted?”
Qingyang: “Just for show.”
An imperial decree is as firm as stone, and the matter had already reached the ears of all the ministers—how could it be reversed so easily?
But knowing her Big Sister’s temperament, Qingyang understood that after exhausting all excuses, her sister would still make her go, and further refusal would only cause resentment.
Qingyang could ignore Yuan Jie’s complaints, but she didn’t want to become distant from her Big Sister.
@ Infinite Good Stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City
Han Yuan Palace.
Emperor Xingwu was reviewing memorials.
When his daughter entered, she glanced at him, then obediently sat on the Rohan Bed by the window, picked up the (Tianwen Xingzhan) he’d left on the low table, and started to read.
Emperor Xingwu laughed.
“Can you understand it?”
Qingyang: “…Father, you understand it.”
Emperor Xingwu: “…I’m just starting. Let the scholars explain it to you slowly. So, Liner, did you come to plead for Yuan Zhili or for your Third Brother?”
@ Infinite Good Stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City
Qingyang: “Father, you’re amazing. You know everything that happens outside.”
Emperor Xingwu: “Of course. If I couldn’t keep track of the palace’s happenings, how could I govern the realm?”
He lowered his head and continued reading.
After a while, Emperor Xingwu looked up to see his daughter still reading.
He asked curiously,
“Why haven’t you pleaded with me yet?”
Qingyang: “Father didn’t punish them wrongly. I won’t plead for them. After I finish this page, Father can pretend to get angry, scold me, and drive me out.”
Emperor Xingwu: “…At such a young age, you’ve already learned to put on an act.”
Qingyang: “Father taught me.”
Emperor Xingwu set aside the memorial and came over to tease his daughter.
“Then if Father scolds you, you must cry to make it convincing. Show me a cry first.”
The Little Princess thought for a moment, then mimicked her mother’s worried frown for Third Brother yesterday.
Though there were no tears, the sorrow in her expression bore a few traces of Consort Li.
Emperor Xingwu felt both pity and amusement.
He took her hand and pretended to smack her palm a few times.
“Very good. Tell your Big Sister just like this—anyone else who comes to plead will be punished along with them.”