"Your Majesty," Chu Ying smiled apologetically. "To tell you the truth, this prince never expected to be called upon. My talent is limited, and racking my brains at this moment, I could only come up with these two lines. I hope Brother Song will forgive me for making a fool of myself."
"This, this... how can there be only two lines? How can there be only two lines?"
"Preposterous! Such a perfect, exquisite masterpiece, and yet it has no continuation—suddenly I feel like cursing!"
"What a waste of heaven's treasures! Such a pity, truly a pity. I beg Your Highness to think of two more lines, or this old man won't be able to sleep tonight..."
It was like the passion between a man and a woman: just as one party's interest is finally aroused, eagerly poised to seize the prize from the tiger's jaws, the prey opposite suddenly vomits blood and dies beforehand.
This suspended, neither-here-nor-there feeling caused countless poetry lovers to beat their chests and stamp their feet, unanimously begging Chu Ying to provide the second half of the ci.
Emperor Chu was also itching with suspense. Frowning at Chu Ying, he demanded, "It's not like you have no time. Can't you think of the second half?"
"Father, please forgive this subject for his dullness. These two lines were purely a flash of inspiration. Even if you gave this subject more time, I could not concoct a matching second half on the spot, and I only fear wasting everyone's time."
Of course it was impossible for Chu Ying to know only the first half of a poem on snow. Relying on the inventory in his head, if he casually pulled out eight or ten poems, he could leave everyone present awestruck and worshipping him on bended knee.
But what would be the point of that?
Showing off for a moment, family cremated in a row.
To others, this phrase was merely a joke; to him, it was a cruel reality he had to face.
Don't look at him as merely a royal outcast long banished to the Cold Palace; even so, there were still plenty of big figures in the shadows who would love nothing more than to get rid of him permanently.
Today, the exposure of his identity as the author of Qingyu An had already pushed him into the spotlight. If he failed to exercise restraint now, disaster would likely arrive on his doorstep in an instant.
How does a prince without power or influence manage to live a long life?
By playing the fool.
If he truly couldn't keep up the act, he still had to conceal his talents as much as possible.
Even Emperor Chu, whose political scheming ran deep, could not have anticipated that Chu Ying possessed such mature judgment. Taken in completely, the emperor wore a rare flash of annoyance:
"Hmph, this is my son. One and all, they are simply worthless..."
Who would have thought that Song Juran would step forward at that moment, summoning his courage to say, "Your Majesty, this subject... this subject wishes to concede."
"What, conceding again?"
Emperor Chu laughed in exasperation. "I recall you haven't even competed yet, have you?"
"Your Majesty, this subject concedes with the utmost sincerity this time, without a shred of insincerity."
"Oh?"
"Your Majesty is wise. I believe everyone present will agree with my words: although the First Prince's poem consists of only two lines, a thousand years from now, it will still be widely recited."
Song Juran said with a completely serious expression, "With such pearls and jade preceding it, this subject's worthless dregs are truly incomparable. It is better not to bring them out and make a fool of myself."
Hearing him put it this way, Emperor Chu found himself unable to refute. Fairly speaking, Chu Ying's two lines were indeed worthy of being passed down through the ages.
After pondering for a moment, Emperor Chu slowly spoke, "Our vast Great Chu is not one to take advantage of others. Donglan heir apparent, I ask you once more: do you truly wish to concede?"
"To not deceive Your Majesty, this subject is also deeply unwilling, but I know my own limitations. If I cannot win, I cannot win—that is a fact."
A bitter smile touched the corners of Song Juran's lips. He cupped his hands and bowed solemnly. "This subject concedes, and is utterly convinced in defeat!"
Emperor Chu gave him a deep look. "Very well. Since you insist upon this, I have no wish to press you further.
"Given your talent, even if the poetry you composed fell short of the First Prince's, I imagine it would not be too poor. Let us call this match a draw."
Song Juran was startled, then bowed once more. "Everything is at Your Majesty's discretion."
Emperor Chu turned his gaze back to Chu Ying. "And what do you think?"
"This subject has no objections."
At this moment, Chu Ying had no mind to care about such things. Although he had tried his best to conceal his talents, too much had been exposed today.
He muttered to himself inwardly: the imperial palace was probably no longer a place to linger; he had to set out for the north as quickly as possible...
***
### Chapter 27: Consort Jin's Brief Moment in the Spotlight
Who could have imagined that after Great Chu made such a grand display today, the best result after all this competition would turn out to be a mere draw?
Those Great Chu nobles, officials, and renowned scholars wore expressions uglier than the last.
They simply couldn't afford to lose face like this!
Some even secretly rejoiced that fortunately, a Chu Ying had stepped forward.
Otherwise, the last shred of decency in the Great Chu literary world would have been stripped away entirely today.
Unable to conceal his disappointment, Emperor Chu suddenly lost interest. Moreover, since Song Juran had fought seven consecutive matches, it would be unseemly to make him continue challenging others, so the emperor immediately ordered the competition to be terminated.
Next, he publicly rewarded both Song Juran and Chu Ying with gold and silver, and additionally bestowed ten bolts of brocade upon Chu Ying.
Then, using the excuse of busy state affairs, he left the arena directly.
This move thoroughly terrified the officials responsible for selecting talent today.
One could easily imagine that at tomorrow morning's court session, they would undoubtedly be drowned in the spittle of the censorate.
However, they were not the unluckiest ones. The truly unlucky fellow was already kneeling outside the imperial study.
Even now, the Fourth Prince, Chu Hao, was completely in a fog.
He had merely followed Consort Jin's instructions to go out for a meal; how on earth had things come to this wretched pass?
No one could answer him. The instigator of it all, Consort Jin, was currently enjoying the envious and jealous gazes of the other imperial concubines inside the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
Today was the Lantern Festival, and the Empress was hosting a banquet; yet Consort Jin had arrived dead last.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, an explanation was definitely required.
Thus, "compelled by circumstances," Consort Jin had no choice but to recount the matter of helping her son prepare to attend the gathering.
In the process, she "accidentally" let slip that Chu Hao was the author of Qingyu An.
And then "accidentally" exposed Emperor Chu's deep expectations for Chu Hao.
And further "accidentally" leaked the news that Chu Hao was about to be granted a fief.
These successive "accidents" instantly turned Consort Jin into the belle of the ball, making her the object of flattery and ingratiation for many concubines, her momentum even overshadowing several principal consorts.
"I've also heard that poem Qingyu An. Who would have thought it was written by the Fourth Prince? The Fourth Prince has truly turned out well."
"More than that! Once the Fourth Prince receives his fief in the future, his status will rise with the tide; he's bound to achieve even greater things."
"Older sister has truly given birth to a good son, making one terribly envious. Once we conceive our own dragon seeds in the future, we must surely seek more guidance from sister. Sister must certainly not be stingy..."
"Hehe, sisters, please don't shower me with such excessive praise. We are all family; if you have any difficulties in the future, just speak up. If I can help, I certainly will. You all know my character by now, don't you?"
The surrounding flattery left Consort Jin beaming from ear to ear as she endlessly made promises to the various concubines.
She had waited for this day for a very long time, and now that her dream had finally come true, her whole person felt as if she were floating up to the heavens.
However, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility was the Empress's home turf. As the ruler of the inner palace, how could she allow others to steal the spotlight?
Seated in the seat of honor, the middle-aged beauty adorned in a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, radiant and full of regal grace, fixed a pair of phoenix eyes upon the self-satisfied Consort Jin amid the crowd, a strange luster gleaming in her gaze.
Suddenly, she smiled brightly and parted her red lips: "The Fourth Prince has indeed turned out well, able to earn a fief purely on his own abilities. Consort Jin, this palace is truly happy for you.
"However, having a fief also means greater responsibility. The Fourth Prince is still young and inevitably lacks experience in management. It just so happens that the Crown Prince has held his fief for many years now, and his management is doing quite well.
"Go back and tell him that if there is anything he doesn't understand in the future, don't be afraid of troubling the Crown Prince—go and ask him more often. Anyway, the Crown Prince has so many properties under his name, and since you are brothers of the same family, it's no trouble to look after him in this matter."
The Empress's words were exceedingly clever; they seemed like an overture of goodwill, but were actually a rap on the knuckles.
She was practically telling Consort Jin straight out: Isn't it just a piece of land? My son owns far more than yours; what is there to show off?
Consort Jin's mood plummeted instantly, feeling as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly.
Unwilling to swallow this insult, she forced a professional, fake smile and replied with hidden barbs: "This subject consort thanks Your Majesty for your kind intentions on behalf of Hao'er.
"However, the Crown Prince's household is vast and his duties are myriad. How could we possibly bother him with Hao'er's tiny little fief? If we were to work someone to death, this subject consort could never bear the responsibility."
The Empress's face darkened. Cursing her son right to her face was naturally intolerable. "Hehe, it seems not only has the Fourth Prince turned out well, but certain people also appear to have turned out quite remarkable."
"Whom is Your Majesty referring to by 'certain people'? Why does this subject consort fail to understand?"
"It's better that you don't understand. When a person is too shrewd, they inevitably harbor improper ambitions. Unfortunately, in the end, they usually end up smashed to pieces."
"Oh my, Your Majesty must choose your words carefully. To speak of being smashed to pieces on a day like the Lantern Festival—it's simply inauspicious..."
A single fief had puffed Consort Jin up so much that she was actually going tit-for-tat with the Empress in front of all the concubines.
Seeing that everyone else dared not utter a sound, Consort Jin felt increasingly pleased with herself.
So what if she was the Empress? Times were different now. Today, her own son had made something of himself; who was still going to lower themselves and look at the Empress's face?
Whoever dared to try and squeeze her again, she would tear into them right to the bitter end!
That was just how arrogant she felt.
The Empress's face turned pale with fury. She had governed the inner palace for so many years; it wasn't that she had never encountered thorns, but she was meeting someone as oblivious to the occasion as Consort Jin for the very first time.
Just as she was finding it tricky to handle, a eunuch suddenly rushed in, panic-stricken: "This is bad! Your Majesty, this is bad!"
"What has happened?"
The Empress remembered that this was the eunuch she had specially arranged to keep watch at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, waiting for Emperor Chu to return to the palace so she could invite him over for a chat.
Seeing him behave so unbefittingly now directly startled her to her feet, thinking some major crisis had truly occurred.
The eunuch hurriedly halted his steps, bent his waist, and reported, "Replying to the Empress, Your Majesty is currently flying into a rage in the imperial study."
"Flying into a rage? Why is His Majesty angry?"
"According to what this slave has heard, during today's scholarly debates at the Temple of Culture, our Great Chu talents clashed with the Donglan Crown Prince, fighting seven consecutive matches without a single victory. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that is what enraged His Majesty."
"How is that possible?!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Consort Jin let out an incredulous gasp. Staring fixedly at the eunuch, she pressed, "How could they not win even a single match? Didn't the Fourth Prince take part?"
"The Fourth Prince did take part, except... except..." Lowering his head, the eunuch trailed off, hesitating.
"Except what?" Consort Jin's expression shifted, and a sudden sense of foreboding gripped her.
"Replying to Consort Jin, this slave doesn't actually know all the details, only that I heard from my colleagues at the Hall of Mental Cultivation that the Fourth Prince is not the author of that—that Qingyu An thing. As a result, his true colors were exposed during the match with the Donglan Crown Prince, making a complete spectacle of himself and causing the Great Chu imperial family to lose all face..."
"You... what did you say?!"
A roar echoed in Consort Jin's head as if she had been struck by a bolt of heavenly lightning.
Chu Hao was actually not the author of Qingyu An?
How could this be?
If he wasn't the author, then who was the real one?
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she grew. Trembling, she asked, "The Fourth Prince... where is he right now?"
"The Fourth Prince is right now in the imperial study."
"The imperial study? You just said His Majesty is also there..."
Consort Jin's expression turned ashen with terror. Her limbs grew ice-cold, as if she had plunged into an icy cellar. Suddenly turning to face the Empress, she dropped heavily to her knees and cried out piteously,
"Empress, this subject consort was wrong! I offer my apologies to Your Majesty—I beg Your Majesty to remember our bond as sisters and save Hao'er! With His Majesty's temper, he's bound to beat him to death! I beg Your Majesty..."
"What is Consort Jin saying? Even a tiger will not eat its own cubs. The Fourth Prince is His Majesty's own flesh and blood; how could His Majesty bear to beat him to death?"
Joy falling from the skies, the Empress seated herself at a leisurely pace, picked up her teacup, and slowly said, "No need to rush. His Majesty is currently at the height of his fury, and this palace wouldn't dare lightly stroke a tiger's whiskers. This matter requires careful deliberation. What do you think?"
"B-but if we go too late, Hao'er will be done for!"
Consort Jin was on the verge of tears. Who told her to stubbornly butt heads with the Empress? This was the price of hubris—she regretted it bitterly now...
***
### Chapter 28: The Price of Glory
The Lantern Festival banquet came to an abrupt end following Emperor Chu's angry departure.
By early evening, a piece of news was spreading through the palace like wildfire.
For reasons unknown, Consort Jin and her son had provoked the imperial wrath.
Emperor Chu had issued an immediate order to drag the Fourth Prince, Chu Hao, out of the imperial study and administer a beating with planks, frightening Consort Jin into endless kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Mother and son wailed to the heavens, looking utterly wretched.
Had the Empress not "timely" stepped forward at the end to quell the uproar, Chu Hao's legs would likely have been broken.
Even so, after this lesson, Chu Hao wouldn't even think of getting out of bed for ten days to a half-month.
As for Consort Jin, for the crime of lax discipline, Emperor Chu docked half a year's stipend and placed her under house arrest for a month, reducing her to the laughingstock of the entire inner palace.
When the news finally reached Chu Ying's ears, he had a premonition that the matter wouldn't end here.
Sure enough, shortly after he returned to the Cold Palace, a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department arrived to issue an imperial decree.
"His Majesty has decreed: The First Prince, Chu Ying, is ordered to set out northward at the hour of Mao tomorrow, reaching Shuncheng within a time limit of two months without delay! Respect this!"
After finishing the reading, the decree-bearing eunuch looked at Chu Ying's wry smile and sneered, "Your Highness, aren't you going to receive the decree?"
***
The twenty-second year of Great Chu's Xuanhe era, the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.
Outside the Zhengyang Gate.
The half-month-long New Year celebrations had finally drawn to a close yesterday.
Yet the bustling, noisy atmosphere of the Capital had not diminished by much.
Along Zhuque Avenue, shops on both sides had long since taken down their door panels, and festive red lanterns hung thickly beneath the eaves.
Pedestrians flowed endlessly along the street.
Fine snowflakes drifted through the air, fluttering down to form a thin layer of white upon the carriage roofs.
"Son of a bitch! It's all the fault of that old scoundrel fortune-teller in the south of the city!"
Sitting in the driver's seat was a plump middle-aged man wearing a felt hat, his entire body wrapped up like a zongzi in a comical sight, as he grumbled incessantly:
"Back then he told me my glabella was broad and thick, a prime official's destiny of great wealth and nobility, and that the space between my eyebrows was tinged with purple, destined to serve before the imperial presence after turning thirty. So in a fit of ruthlessness, I entered the palace to become a eunuch, but now..."
He glanced back at the young man sitting blankly inside the carriage. This was the new master assigned to him by the Imperial Household Department.
A prince exiled to the frontier by the emperor.
Having followed such an outcast, what future could he possibly have left?
His dream of becoming a grand imperial grand eunuch was thoroughly finished.
Thinking of this sad affair, Hao Fugui couldn't help raising a hand to wipe the corner of his eye, and resumed his grumbling:
"What official's destiny? I believed your ghost of a lie—you old bastard are thoroughly rotten!"
"I say, Public Eunuch Hao, how is it I feel the fortune-teller wasn't wrong? You and I are heading off to the bitter, freezing northern lands of Northern Yan. They say few people who go to that place ever return alive—isn't that precisely the destiny of lying in a coffin?"
At this moment, an untimely voice drifted over from the side.
The speaker was an officer in his twenties, mounted on a horse with his saber cradled in his arms, a mocking smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.
"Bah, bah!"
Hao Fugui was deeply superstitious and hurriedly spat a few times to ward off bad luck, reminding him:
"I say, Flag General Cui, you and I are grasshoppers tied to the same rope now. Can't you say something auspicious? What coffin destiny? That's an official's destiny—*guan* for official promotion, *cai* for making a fortune!"
"Hehe, fine, fine. In a ghost place like that, you're still dreaming of official promotions and getting rich."
The amusement on Cui Zhao's face grew thicker. Shaking his head, he glanced again at the swirling snowflakes, cupped his fists toward the carriage interior, and called out, "The hour is late; we need to reach our scheduled destination before dark. May I ask Your Highness, can we set off now? Your Highness? Your Highness..."
After calling out several times, he finally pulled Chu Ying back from his thoughts.
Blowing warmth into his hands, Chu Ying looked at the two men he had just met today.
One was a managing eunuch who had somehow offended someone and been dispatched by the Imperial Household Department to look after his daily food and lodging from now on.
The other was also an unlucky wretch.
Originally a captain of a hundred in the Imperial Guard, he had been demoted to a flag general simply for fighting an injustice and beating up the running dog of the Duke of Wei's grandson.
Along with ten of his subordinate officers who had also participated, he was dumped by his side.
A total of twelve men—this was the entire force Emperor Chu had handed over to him.
One had to admit that compared to other princes whose outings were heralded by crowds and surrounded by hundreds of followers at the very least,
this band of fellow sufferers was truly a bit shabby.
However, Emperor Chu had never liked him anyway, and Chu Ying didn't expect to receive many pleasant surprises from him.
He simply hadn't expected Emperor Chu's order to come so swiftly.
In fact, by the time yesterday's scholarly assembly ended, he had already made up his mind to set out northward as early as possible.
He hadn't expected that as soon as he returned to the palace in the afternoon, a eunuch from the Hall of Mental Cultivation would deliver Emperor Chu's decree, ordering him to leave the capital at first light the next day.
He truly wasn't favored at all!
Chu Ying gave a self-deprecating chuckle as his gaze passed through the city gate. In the distance, the greyish-brown, towering imperial palaces stood quietly amidst the wind and snow.
People came and went on the street; along the ten-li long avenue, not a single person had come to see him off.
Yet in his heart, he felt not the slightest sense of desolation.
Because he knew.
In this cold palace city, within a tiny, secluded corner, a single candle flame was forever waiting for him to come home.
This was enough.
"Mother, the kitchen has the Lantern Festival dumplings your child made for you with his own hands... Your child is unfilial; I can only wrong you by letting you suffer a bit longer... The day your child returns, I will welcome you out of the palace amid the roaring crowds!"
He made a silent vow in his heart, his gaze growing increasingly resolute.
He had risen very early today, without alarming Consort Rong and without time to notify Lei Kai.
Partings were always sorrowful; he did not want to witness the sorrowful expressions of the people he cared about.
Some burdens were enough for one person to bear.
As for Consort Jin and the others, after this incident with Chu Hao, he doubted she would be jumping around anytime soon...
"Alright, let's go."
Taking one last look at the towering Zhengyang Gate, Chu Ying lowered the curtain, leaving not a shred of lingering attachment in his eyes.
"Brothers, we're changing territories! Are you happy? Let's move out!"
With a grand wave of his hand, acting like a commanding general, Cui Zhao flicked his reins and spurred his horse to the front to lead the way.
Ten soldiers guarded the front and rear of the carriage, and the procession turned westward, departing along another main street.
The wind and snow continued unabated as the carriage wheels crushed the ice and snow on the ground, slowly vanishing at the end of the long street.
***
Several days later.
Within the borders of Huaiyin Prefecture.
Lead-grey clouds shrouded the entire Grand Canal.
Snowflakes filling the sky drifted from the far north, riding the wind southward all the way.
Yet a fleet of covered black-awning boats pushed stubbornly against the wind and snow, rocking rhythmically as they proceeded northward slowly but with firm determination.
This place was already more than three hundred li from the Capital, and upon the icy river surface, almost no passing boats were to be seen.