Chapter 2038: A Faint Sigh

Luoyang, the Eastern Palace, Hongde Hall.

The sky was still bright, yet Crown Prince Liu Yang rarely appeared in his bedchamber. During the half year of the old Emperor's inspection tour, Liu Yang had practically made the Hall of State Affairs in Guangzheng Hall his home, diligently and steadfastly fulfilling the duties of a crown prince overseeing the realm.

Having administered governance for many years, he had to admit that this was the first time Liu Yang truly held great power in his hands, governing the country and handling court affairs entirely according to his own ideas and methods. In the past, as long as the old Emperor was present, there would inevitably be constraints—after all, everyone understood that at critical moments and on critical matters, the final say belonged to the old Emperor.

Of course, even with great power in hand, Liu Yang did not display the arrogance of "issuing orders at will." Instead, he became even more cautious, consulting with the ministers left behind on every matter and never making arbitrary decisions. This humble and prudent attitude naturally earned him even greater support from the Great Han's "upright ministers and worthy officials."

Of course, Liu Yang's purpose was not to win people's hearts or curry favor with the ministers. He simply held one conviction from the bottom of his heart: the last part of a journey is the hardest. For Liu Yang at this point, having come this far, how could he afford the slightest slackening?

Both imperial grandsons had accompanied the Emperor on his southern tour, leaving the Eastern Palace feeling rather "deserted," with far fewer disputes. All external manifestations have internal causes, and the various conflicts that had once appeared in the Eastern Palace ultimately stemmed from the imperial grandsons themselves...

Beside the food table, Liu Yang held a small child in his left arm—a chubby little face, pink and tender, with lively, sparkling eyes gazing eagerly at Liu Yang, or rather at the spoon in his hand. Seeing Liu Yang bring the spoon to his mouth, the child immediately opened wide and swallowed.

The child was naturally Liu Yang's youngest son, Liu Wenpeng. Though still a child under five, by ritual law he was the Great Han's most legitimate heir. The reason was simple: he was the Crown Prince's legitimate son, representing the orthodox line of the Great Han court.

In fact, over these past few years, countless gazes from both inside and outside the court had already turned toward this gradually growing imperial grandson. Even Liu Yang himself would sometimes look at Liu Wenpeng with observation and scrutiny—even though the boy was only four or five years old. This was something a legitimate son of the imperial house must bear; back then, Liu Yang himself had walked this same path step by step to where he was today...

"Is it good?" Liu Yang picked up a silk handkerchief, gently wiping the corner of Liu Wenpeng's mouth as he asked softly.

Liu Wenpeng nodded the same way, his voice crisp: "Delicious!"

"Remember, this is called meat porridge—the 'meat porridge' from 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?'" Liu Yang raised his hand, gently stroking Liu Wenpeng's head, and smiled.

"Mm!" Liu Wenpeng naturally didn't understand the emotion and wisdom hidden in his father's words, but he still obediently nodded.

"One more spoonful..."

Not far away, Crown Princess Murong sat gracefully behind another food table, the food before her barely touched. Her eyes fixed on the father and son, she savored the warm atmosphere, her dignified countenance barely containing a smile.

In her heart, she couldn't help thinking: if only it were just the three of them, how wonderful that would be. Then her brow furrowed slightly—clearly something unpleasant had come to mind...

Just as they were dining, the palace eunuch Wang Yue hurriedly arrived. Noticing his grave expression, Liu Yang's brow also tightened slightly, but he said nothing, merely tilting his head slightly toward the outside.

Seeing this, Wang Yue stepped forward, bent down, and whispered something into Liu Yang's ear. As Wang Yue's report continued, Liu Yang's face sank completely, and he stopped the movement of his hands. The atmosphere in the hall visibly grew oppressive.

After a moment of deliberation, Liu Yang looked up and instructed the Crown Princess: "Take Wenpeng and withdraw."

Her gaze flickered between Wang Yue and the Crown Prince. Though curious about what had happened, she obediently complied, personally rising to take the bewildered Liu Wenpeng by the hand, bowing, and leaving.

Immediately after, Liu Yang, with a look of melancholy, instructed Wang Yue: "Go and invite Uncle Fu!"

"Yes!" Wang Yue replied in a low voice.

The Uncle Fu Liu Yang referred to could only be one person now—the current head of the Fu clan, Fu Zhaoyuan. In earlier years, Fu Zhaoyuan had been sent by Liu Yang to Andong to command the military. When Andong was formally established as a vassal state and large numbers of civil and military officials chose to leave Andong and return to court, Fu Zhaoyuan was among them. After returning to the capital, he was appointed Director of the Palace Administration.

Roughly half an hour later, Fu Zhaoyuan hurriedly arrived upon summons, his face full of confusion. When he saw Liu Yang's heavy expression, his unease only grew. Though he was a generation older than Liu Yang, Fu Zhaoyuan had never treated him as a mere nephew, nor did he dare to. He carefully maintained his minister's conduct, always remembering that this was the Crown Prince of the Great Han—half a sovereign.

In the hall at that moment, looking at this maternal uncle who was not much older than himself, Liu Yang's face showed a rare look of difficulty. After some hesitation, he took out a letter and ordered Wang Yue to hand it over: "A secret letter from Jiangling—take a look."

Fu Zhaoyuan was puzzled inwardly, but he dared not be negligent. Taking the letter and scanning its contents, his originally composed expression immediately cracked: "How could this be! Why did it come to this!"

The letter's contents were nothing else—the Hubei naval smuggling case, and the situation of Fu Zhaoshou being implicated and executed. This news was, without question, a devastating blow to Fu Zhaoyuan.

"How could he be so foolish!"

Looking at Fu Zhaoyuan, who was grief-stricken yet struggling to contain his emotions, Liu Yang spoke after a brief silence: "His Majesty executed him on the spot in Jiangling. Third Uncle's death—I was too far away to help, without even a chance to save him..."

A trace of guilt faintly seeped through Liu Yang's tone. Fu Zhaoyuan sensed it, wiped the corner of his eye, and bowed: "He was mediocre and incompetent, his conduct improper, inviting disaster upon himself. He deserved what he got!"

Watching Fu Zhaoyuan's reaction, Liu Yang raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, saying in a deep voice: "That may be so, but in the end, he was blood kin..."

Liu Yang wore an uneasy expression, took a deep breath, and instructed: "I'll grant you leave. Go personally to Jiangling, handle Third Uncle's funeral arrangements, and bring him home for burial."

Hearing this, Fu Zhaoyuan was momentarily stunned. After thinking it over, he suppressed his grief and prostrated himself: "Thank you, Your Highness! However, the incident occurred in Jiangling—would it be improper for me to go there rashly?"

At Fu Zhaoyuan's words, Liu Yang's eyes narrowed slightly, carefully appraising him for a moment before speaking blandly: "No matter. His Majesty killed someone in Jiangling, openly and justly—precisely to make it known to all under heaven!"

"Your servant understands!" Fu Zhaoyuan considered briefly, then bowed again and departed.

After Fu Zhaoyuan left, Liu Yang remained seated, pondering for a long while before letting out a long, leisurely sigh. He sighed both for Fu Zhaoshou's death and for Fu Zhaoyuan's transformation. This maternal uncle, who had once seemed not particularly clever, now had a mind that had grown deep and even cunning—at the very least, his earlier suspicion had been laden with meaning.

At the same time, Liu Yang couldn't help but wonder: if he were in Jiangling, facing the same situation, what choice would he make—to kill or not to kill?

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