Chapter 162

Just after Your Highness entered the gate of Chang'an City and had taken only a few steps, the officials of the Ministry of Rites who had heard the news hurried over, wanting to take Prince You to the Rites Guesthouse for settlement.

When feudal princes return to the capital upon imperial edict, just like foreign envoys, they are all received and settled by the Ministry of Rites.

These princes were enfeoffed at a young age; upon returning, they could hardly live again in the imperial palace, so almost all are settled by the Ministry of Rites. Of course, if you have your own property elsewhere, that's also possible. Favored princes even have bestowed mansions in Chang'an.

For someone like Your Highness, the default is the Rites Guesthouse.

But right now Your Highness is in a hurry to see his father; there's no time to go settle with the Minister of Rites. If we delay a moment longer, the court audience will disperse, and wouldn't that mean far fewer spectators?

Absolutely not!

Early this morning, the streets of Chang'an City were still fairly clear; the king's entourage repeatedly refused outright, saying, "I want to go request an audience with my father; I'll come find you after that!"

Minister of Rites: "……! No, Your Highness, you must wait for the Emperor to summon you……"

Your Highness lifted the curtain and exclaimed, "Look at my face—can you wait?!"

The wounded king's chest had a large gash, and his hair bun still bore a feather from some unknown animal……

The Minister of Rites gasped in shock, "Your Highness, what is this?!"

Your Highness replied, "You've been assassinated five or six or seven or eight times—you'd look about the same."

Minister of Rites: ……

The audience at Jianzhang Palace was already drawing to a close when a palace servant rushed in and whispered a few words to the Chief Steward beside the Emperor; the Chief Steward then went to Emperor Ningde's side and bent down to whisper a few words.

Emperor Ningde immediately flung the scroll he had been playing with onto the case, shouting, "Unfilial son!"

The ministers leaned in to listen, "What? Which unfilial son?"

Summon Prince You in!

The ministers: "Oh oh, that unfilial Prince You…… no, is Prince You back?"

The bloody retinue that Your Highness had brought waited outside the palace gate; along the way they had indeed attracted many curious glances. Though it was still early, that didn't mean the streets were empty. Your Highness was sure that by noon he would top the gossip charts of every teahouse in Chang'an City.

He was allowed to bring two attendants into the palace; Your Highness didn't summon Zhao Ba and his men, but directly chose two wounded Xiao Qi riders to accompany him inside.

Upon entering the palace, weapons and armor must be removed; as soon as these two took off their armor, dark red bloodstains were visible on the collars and sleeves of their inner garments—quite a striking sight.

Thus Your Highness strode into the palace, accompanied by two tall attendants whose robes were soaked in blood and whose faces bore knife wounds, swinging proudly.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd gawking like melon‑eaters, Prince You, the unfilial son, entered wearing beggar's garb and a messy chicken‑nest hairdo.

Your Highness realized that his mindset this time coming to Jianzhang Palace was completely different from that of the first time, two or three years ago, when he came to receive his princely edict.

He no longer felt nervous; there was nothing left… well, maybe nothing at all—anyway, he was neither tense nor afraid.

Your Highness attributed this to growth.

Upon seeing his appearance, the ministers all sucked in a breath! Indeed, you unfilial son, how do you manage to cause such trouble! No, even if You Prefecture is poor, you wouldn't reduce yourself to this state, would you?!

Emperor Ningde was not much better off than the ministers; he was clearly shocked as well. He stared intently at this 'beggar' … it looked like his third son, the facial features familiar, somewhat resembling the Fifth Princess, but compared to the memory of his chubby little boy, he had indeed grown remarkably thin.

Your Highness knelt properly and performed the great kowtow to his father: 'Prince You Jing pays his respects to Father Emperor; may Father Emperor enjoy eternal happiness.'

Emperor Ningde snapped, 'Get up! Prince You, how did you end up like this?'

Your Highness, obediently climbing to his feet, upon hearing his father's question, this fellow plopped down on the ground and burst into wailing!

It's a long story, son—no matter how you are, it doesn't matter! But Father, is your imperial health really alright? Wah-wah, son got scared!

Prince You is already eight; logically, for acting like this at court he should at least get a remark about improper etiquette and being childish, but the point is his appearance today is too awful—his face is all smashed!

The Prince now looks like he's escaped from death, his emotions have collapsed.

This doesn't delay Emperor Ningde's anger, ah—this unfilial son curses him as soon as he returns!

"Unfilial son! I'm fine! Speak properly!"

The unfilial son also didn't get up nor cry; he just, with his pockmarked face, asked his father emperor, 'Father Emperor, if you have nothing wrong, why does someone insist on taking my life? I thought you… therefore… someone wants to clear away all obstacles, forcing me to die! Father Emperor, you know, I have no thoughts at all, nor do I want to contend for anything—why would they kill me? It's just that someone wants to clear obstacles, and there's no need to clear away the irrelevant flowers and grasses by the roadside, right?'

The officials: …… Oh, he was assassinated!

What an irrelevant flower and grass—you don't even have the surname Bai Li, ah!

Emperor Ningde's head was buzzing, 'Don't go off on tangents, get to the point!'

"Okay."

The Prince took out a page of paper and began to recite: 'On the sixth day of the eighth month, twenty li outside Ninghai County in Yi Prefecture, two hundred assassins were sent to kill me. On the tenth day of the eighth month, outside the city of Hedong Commandery, a huge stone rolled down from the mountain, the road was planted with horse-tripping stakes to assassinate me. On the fourteenth day of the eighth month, the bustling market of Shilin County in Shangdang Commandery was ambushed. Yesterday, outside Chang'an City, again three hundred assassins—Father Emperor, is my life worth so much? They clearly don't put you in their eyes, ah; I keep getting assassinated outside Chang'an—why is that? I passed through Hong'nan and was happy, thinking I was finally safe, but… just now, when I was stopped at the city gate and not allowed in, I thought… something had changed in the Chengzhang Palace.' 'You're fine, someone's anxious—can you handle it, or are you just going to sit and watch?'

"Impudence!" Emperor Ningde discovered this unfilial son truly had no filter, daring to say anything.

All the officials in the hall knelt down, but Prince You remained seated on the ground, blinking his big eyes: 'Father, how have I been impudent? I came to the palace at once to pay my respects, just to see how you are. Father, take a look at my current state—I used to have a fine physique, but all the hardships have reduced me to a wreck, my face is disfigured. I brought a thousand guards from Youzhou, and by the time I reached Chang'an only two hundred remained—who is insisting on taking my life? I only have a poor commandery; whose path am I blocking? I reckon I don't have the strength to block much. I feel like crying!'

The Grand Tutor almost laughed at him—Prince You used to be a bit of a fatty, right? His physique was good?

Emperor Ningde gave his unfilial son a deep, inscrutable look for a moment, then asked: 'This morning, the city gate really wouldn't let you enter the city, did it?'

The Prince huffed angrily: 'Of course it's true! I've been chased all the way, and now only two hundred people remain with me; that gate still won't let me in, ordering everyone to retreat to the western camp. Do other feudal lords also waltz in empty-handed? How can they still bully people? What defensive capability do I have? Splitting off from the mere two hundred troops beside me to enter alone, I don't even know if I can make it to the Chengzhang Palace before I'm gone—hmph!'

The official in charge of the city gate, Jingzhao Yin Zhang, opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing and lowered his head.