Chapter 29: Eunuch 36 (Fifteenth Prince)

Eunuch 36 (Fifteenth Prince)

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Emperor Liang Kang's expression was desolate, his face gloomy; he stood by the lake, watching the withered lotuses covering the water, which withered like his current mood.

Beside him, Eunuch Xia wore a forced smile, earnestly saying words to please the Emperor, "Your Majesty, autumn is a season of harvest; this year Great Liang enjoys favorable winds and rains everywhere, surely a good harvest."

Such auspicious words made the old Emperor unable to smile, and he said despondently, "I have lost so many sons, my heart in autumn is sorrowful…"

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He wanted to remind the Emperor that the Second Prince is merely bedridden and crippled, yet still alive; Title: Fourth Prince and his consort fought like dogs over a man, both fell but did not die; moreover, the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince are also alive, just useless in the future.

However, in the Emperor's eyes, perhaps these useless sons are no different from the dead.

Although he is a eunuch, destined to have no descendants, Eunuch Xia seems to understand the Emperor's feelings if he puts himself in his shoes.

"Yesterday, Zhong Yong Bo entered the palace to complain to me," the old Emperor muttered to himself, "What did he say that made me fall from grace, yet he doesn't consider that he raised such shameless daughters, his girls will never marry, shouldn't that be so? And he still has the nerve to cry to me? Has Luo Shi died?"

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The Fourth Prince's consort was born in Zhong Yong Bo's household, a legitimate daughter of his family.

When he arranged the marriage for the Fourth Prince back then, the old Emperor was so pleased; now he is equally disgusted.

Xia Duofu respectfully said, "Your Majesty, not yet; His Highness the Fourth Prince forbids execution."

A while ago, the Fourth Prince and his consort Luo Shi, as a couple, fought over a lover on the street, this act shamed the royal family, and Luo Shi could only atone with death.

That was one thing; being able to raise such a fierce daughter, surely the Luo Family's married aunties and unmarried girls will all have a bad future, their reputations will be dragged down.

The old Emperor furrowed his brows and said, "Why not kill her? Keep her for the New Year?"

Everyone has been cuckolded, how could he not know that the Fourth Prince's heart is so broad?

Clearly both spouses are cuckolding each other, but nowadays, a man playing with a woman is a scandalous tale, a man playing with a man is a refined affair, a woman playing with a man should be struck by thunder!

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Xia Duofu forced a dry laugh; he didn't quite understand what the Fourth Prince was thinking—could it be that eunuchs and cut‑sleeve lovers are that different?

He swallowed his fear and said, "His Highness the Fourth says that if she is killed, Feng Ge will remember the Fourth Prince's consort for a lifetime; the living cannot compete with the dead, so Feng Ge would never fall in love with him."

Liang Kang felt a surge of hot blood rise to his throat, almost spitting it out; he trembled with anger, "So the mastermind is that Feng Ge? Have someone cut Feng Ge down!"

If it weren't for this Feng Ge, his son and daughter‑in‑law would still be happily together.

The old Emperor selectively forgets that his son is actually a cut‑sleeve pervert who only likes young girls, and his marriage also delayed the girl's marriage.

Xia Duofu moved his mouth twice, then struggled to speak, "His Highness the Fourth Prince says Feng Ge is his fate; if he dies, the Fourth Prince will not live alone."

The old Emperor was so angry he could not speak, his hands trembled incessantly, nearly fainting.

His good son would even sacrifice himself for a man?!!!!

But the old Emperor truly feared the consequences; this son's mind was already flawed, yet he actually could commit such a self‑sacrifice.

However, he also knows that the Fourth Prince is merely using the opportunity to threaten his father, knowing many of his sons have died, and now just wants each of them to live well.

The old Emperor was furious yet helpless, and could only ask his close eunuch, "Xia Duofu, what do you think?"

He does not want to see any son die, but also does not want them to live comfortably!

Xia Duofu actually did not want to get involved in these matters, but since the Emperor asked, he must provide a suitable solution.

He thought for a while, silently reasoning that it's just not wanting Feng Ge to die? Just falling in love with a man like Feng Ge who has masculine vigor? That's simple!

Xia Duofu said tactfully, "Your Majesty, I hear Feng Ge is robust and strong; the palace currently lacks a robust eunuch."

Eunuchs are castrated at a young age; no matter how they grow, if they grow horizontally they're like plump white meatballs, if vertically they're like bamboo poles, frail against the wind.

He said while thinking, "Of course, the Fourth Prince will certainly cause a ruckus then, but it's fine; I will have someone soothe him."

Once his preferences are understood, it's not difficult; the Fourth Prince's household has plenty of silver, allowing him to change his favorite every day!

"Once the soothing is done, the Fourth Prince's consort can come and be dealt with."

By then, the Fourth Prince's consort will have only one fate: if she does not die, she must enter a nunnery!

Even if the Emperor does not kill her, her family will act; her existence will only cause the family's girls to be unable to marry, and the married aunties will have no good days.

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Thus Xia Duofu, understanding the implication, ordered the subordinates to handle the matter.

Seeing the old Emperor's mood finally improve, Xia Duofu was about to say a few more considerate words when he suddenly saw a group approaching from the opposite side.

He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, look, isn't that Ning Pin?"

At this moment, Ning Pin was dressed softly and attractively; at a glance, she even had a hint of a Consort's elegance.

However, the old Emperor didn't even turn his head; a year ago, when he considered his sword still sharp, he would naturally have been interested in such sentiment, but now he let it be.

This year, Great Liang's wind and rain have been turbulent, and he has not entered Place: Inner Palace for a long time.

Because of the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince's affairs, the Consort chose to close the palace, seemingly taking away the old Emperor's last trace of paternal tenderness; he even, for purity, ordered that the Place: Inner Palace consorts not be disturbed without cause.

At first he didn't know how to face them; the mothers of several princes cried upon seeing him, their pleas endless, which irritated him.

Later he didn't want to face them; several palace consorts, because of the princes' matters, started fighting, accusing each other, each demanding he adjudicate justice.

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These women only know the heartache for their own sons, unaware that the fathers of those princes are all him, and his suffering is countless times theirs!

Now the whole court seems enveloped in shadow, trusted ministers keep hinting. He can no longer practice any balancing strategy; the adult princes are essentially all annihilated, and he is not young any more. If he does not nurture a successor now, it will be too late.

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But within a year, his hair was almost all white; on his birthday last year, he proudly claimed his upkeep was proper, making him more than ten years younger than officials of the same age.

At that time, several princes smiled and flattered him, saying they stood beside him like brothers.

The old Emperor, thinking of this, murmured, "I want it pure and clean, don't let anyone come over."

Xia Duofu, having heard this, gave a subtle signal to the attendants around him; the palace staff understood and went to disperse the group of consorts who had come to Yuhuayuan to admire flowers under the pretense of a coincidence.

Soon after, the old Emperor impatiently waved his hand, refusing Eunuch Xia and the others' accompaniment, wishing to walk alone at leisure.

Eunuch Xia wasn't worried either; in such a huge imperial city, with the secret guards following, what could happen?

The sun was about to set, and the outline of the imperial city grew more solemn in the afterglow; the small grove thick with trees suddenly turned gloomy.

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What place has he come to?

This imperial palace was left by the previous dynasty; the old emperor knew that his grandfather and father had ordered the construction of many additional halls back then, but the palace's area remained that large, hardly expanded.

As emperor, his range of movement was actually just that small; aside from childhood curiosity to explore unknown places, once grown, his time was basically taken up by various duties, so he rarely set foot in those corners of the palace.

The old emperor stood there, gazed for a moment, and muttered to himself, "I remember…… this is the Cold Palace?"

The Greater Cold Palace houses the consorts who made mistakes; the Cold Palace should be empty, right?

Just as he was thinking that, a rustling sound caught his attention.

An assassin?!

The old emperor became alert, about to summon the secret guards to protect him, when he saw an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy crawl out of a dog hole in the wall corner.

The old emperor stood silently in the shadows, watching with interest as the boy emerged.

Seeing that he even knew how to plant a sprig to cover the dog hole, he couldn't help but find it more interesting, thinking the boy was quite clever.

Next he saw the boy stealthily hide in the shade by the lake, head down, fiddling with something.

Seeing this, the emperor didn't hurry away, but continued to watch with interest.

Is he fishing?

Dong Lake had once yielded countless corpses; the river ran dry, but later the water surged back to fill the lake, fish fry were replenished, and many lotuses were planted.

After more than a year, skilled-swimming eunuchs would occasionally dive to the lake bottom to check for any discarded corpses; once they found the bottom clean, the palace staff who were short of meat finally dared to catch fish from the lake to eat.

The boy was very patient, sitting motionless.

The old emperor noted the time; at least the length of an incense stick had passed, and the boy hadn't moved at all.

He nodded secretly; no matter what one does, patience is required, and the boy did well in that regard.

Waiting for the boy to catch a fish and crawl back through the dog hole, the old emperor realized his leg had gone numb, and he didn't know how long he had been standing there watching.

Looking up again, the moon hung at the mountain's base, and the sky was completely dark.

The old emperor turned and left, saying, "Go find out who that boy is."

After a while, a tree let out a faint sound; Jiang He yawned and jumped down from the dense foliage.

Finally everyone had left; he had really slept a long time.

The old emperor soon obtained the information gathered by the secret guards.

After reading it, he felt somewhat moved, "I never realized I still had a son in the Cold Palace."

The old emperor couldn't help but recall events from over a decade ago.

The boy's mother seemed to be a laughing, eating-loving young maiden, always cheerful, making people like her at first glance. Originally she came from the common folk, of low status, at most she could be a Talented Lady; the Empress at the time mocked his poor taste, saying he only liked superficial common girls, and in anger she conferred upon her the title Joyful Consort.

Perhaps her sudden rise in rank harmed the Joyful Consort; moreover, she was too young and unaware of defenses, and someone dug up a cloth doll with needles pierced into its chest from her hall, and behind it were the Empress's eight characters.

Thus the Joyful Consort was cast into the Cold Palace, and at the time she seemed to be pregnant.

Emperor Liang Kang loved beauty; he never minded the noise and scheming in the harem, as long as the women served him well, their fights were their own business; whoever was killed or injured, if there was evidence it was a white silk ribbon, if there was no evidence one could only consider oneself unlucky—after all, it's either you die or I live; even sending someone to the Cold Palace, such a lenient method, is extremely rare.

The Joyful Consort remained vivid in his memory, beautiful and lively, and he had doted on her for a long time.

Unfortunately, she was just too foolish; after being framed, she couldn't find any evidence, and he had originally wanted to intervene to protect her, but who would have known that at the time Jiangnan was suffering a locust plague, and moreover, the ones who had framed her were the mothers of the Tenth and Eleventh Princes.

As emperor, it would be easy for him to uphold justice for the Joyful Consort, but the two princes would lose their mother; even if they didn't lose her, a consort who had erred had no right to raise a child, palace life is hard, and only a birth mother would truly care for her own.

The true Fifteenth Prince, Li Mingzhi, was sent to the Imperial Study to study together with his other brothers.

The hottest rumor circulating in the palace these days is that the emperor, after losing so many sons, suddenly had a prince drop down from the heavens.

They all jumped out, trying desperately to suppress this suddenly appeared Fifteenth Prince, saying, "Your Majesty, how could the Cold Palace possibly raise such a fair-skinned child? Moreover, the Fifteenth Prince looks like he has read many books—that's highly suspicious! And the Joyful Consort, just an ordinary fisherwoman—how could she have taught him? There must be something fishy!"

I originally thought they were instructing the young prince in the Imperial Study, which could refine their sentiments; these young princes are so stupid and foolish, but anyway it has nothing to do with the succession struggle, so there's no need to go to such trouble. Who would have thought that those princes who seemed of normal intelligence were either all dead or crippled, forcing them to pick from among a bunch of dull-witted fools one who isn't quite so stupid or foolish.

But why didn't the Joyful Consort say she was pregnant back then?

Li Mingzhi moved into Peach Fragrance Hall, a small palace with several peach trees planted; the hall wasn't large or luxurious. The old emperor had originally generously let him choose a larger, better palace, but he instead liked those few peach trees, even secretly swallowing his saliva as he said he wanted to eat peaches, which could be made into preserved peaches and peach juice.

While the old emperor was still pondering whether there was any other conspiracy behind Jiang Yuner and her son appearing in the Cold Palace, he only had a few living princes left; even if there was a conspiracy, it could only be investigated slowly, but the most important thing was that the princes' studies could not be delayed.

Someone sighed, "So the Joyful Consort, that idiot, was framed into the Cold Palace because of mother-son prestige—has the lowly risen?" "Indeed, only he who laughs last laughs best."

The emperor found a prince in the Cold Palace?

This group of consorts felt half apprehensive, half uneasy.

By contrast, the mothers of those underage princes who were made to look intellectually disabled by the Fifteenth Prince were not having it.

Thus these young princes, under the strict instruction of their respective mothers, began to compete fiercely.

Now the harem has become a graveyard for the high-ranking consorts who lost their sons, as well as a battlefield for the mothers of those few ambitious young princes.

The teachers couldn't help but feel sorrow welling up from their hearts.

The plump young woman picked up the rice and meat and walked into the kitchen, while the young boy took out a book, saying, "Kitty, I'll read to you."

After much difficulty, it was finally mealtime, and the teachers gathered together to eat.

In the Cold Palace, the young boy crouched beside the sand, using a stick to write on the sand.

The young woman patiently told him where he was wrong.

The young boy was reading the Book of Songs; he read it smoothly, and whenever he made a mistake, the young woman's gentle voice would sound, "You read it wrong."

The old emperor approached silently, glanced at the characters in the sand, and spoke sternly, "This character is written incorrectly."

But the old emperor suspected a conspiracy, because every teaching instructor excitedly told him: "The newly arrived Fifteenth Prince is a genius!"

The old emperor decided to go to the Cold Palace himself to bring that prince out.

The investigation results showed it was an accident, but the mothers of the two princes refused to believe it, insisting that another prince had done it.

They were actually worried that, if the Joyful Consort had a special constitution—like the Virtuous Consort, an older woman in her twenties could still pass off as a fifteen-year-old maiden—and she also had a son, if the mother were to regain favor…

Recently, the palace has become lively again.

This year, the old emperor lacked enthusiasm for visiting the hougong, causing those concubines to also lose interest in competing for favor.

What the old emperor worries about—can any of those old foxes in the court fail to see it? Recently, officials concerned with the imperial study have come in batches, secretly inquiring about several princes' situations.

If the adult princes' scheming is hard to watch, then these young princes don't even know how to scheme—put nicely, they're guileless; put harshly, they're foolish and stupid, the sort who would be cheated and still return change.

In this hougong, once a woman passes twenty, trying to win the emperor's favor is unrealistic—who let the dog emperor only love fresh-faced youths? Though they think themselves like ripe peaches on a branch, at their peak of flavor, the emperor only craves sour, unripe plums; what does the sweetness of peaches have to do with him?

The teaching tutor originally thought he would face a prince who might not even finish the Three Character Classic, needing to start from scratch, just like the six-year-old seventeenth prince, who seemed to be in enlightenment every day.

"With such poor conditions in the little cold palace, limited food and clothing, they surely look aged."

The concubines no longer fight each other; when they have free time, they gather to chat idly.

After all, it's simply not enough affection.

When the words fell, the atmosphere grew even heavier and more oppressive.

If spoken, considering the child's sake, he might actually be willing to protect her; though he doesn't value women, he still cares for his own flesh and blood.

"If only I had paper and brush." He muttered while writing, "It seems the way I exert force with my wrist isn't quite right…"

When this news came out, even the hougong's struggles stalled for a moment.

Someone asked, "How is the thirteenth prince today?"

After the old emperor sighed long and short, he felt that since he had found that child, who was also his son, he surely ought to take him away from the lenggong.

The hougong's turmoil did not reach the fifteenth prince, Li Mingzhi, who had already left the little cold palace.

Now the adult princes are either dead or crippled; the mothers of these young princes have instead become spirited, each turning into a strict mother, wanting their sons to improve—but how could those princes, accustomed to fishing three days and drying nets two, endure it?

The dark guards spent over half a month and finally uncovered something.

The princes' mothers don't care; regardless, since your royal brother studies until the second watch, you must study until the third watch.

Bored concubines gathered to chat; the palace had little entertainment, so having this matter was a rare chance to let them chatter on for days.

The old emperor silently watched the plump three-colored cat, which, with agility mismatched to its size, carried grain about its own weight and pushed it before the mother and son, then proudly meowed twice.

"As always."

Those invited into the palace to tutor the princes are all learned scholars of extraordinary talent, possessing genuine ability.

Before class ended, several princes' eyes unanimously glanced at the door, counting the time.

Besides, beauties are just that; without the favored consort, there are younger, fresher ones.

Sometimes when the young woman didn't hear, the cat deity would yowl loudly, the boy's voice stopping as he ran to his mother: "Mother, the cat says I misread, but Mingzhi doesn't know where I went wrong."

The youngster leapt up alertly, like a startled rabbit.

If not rectified, perhaps his remaining sons will also be lost.

One crisp autumn day, several high-ranking hougong ladies left the huangong to go to Xiangguo Temple to pray for the nation's blessings.

Perhaps it was the fifteenth prince found in the little cold palace that finally gave the emperor spirit, prompting him to finally act to straighten out the hougong.

Although they too had eyed that chair, studying till midnight every night and rising before dawn—is that something people do?

Blame it on the adult princes fighting too fiercely; initially thinking their children were still young and had little chance, the consorts unanimously raised the young princes as naive sweethearts, hoping the adult princes' strife wouldn't affect them.

Someone immediately said, "No, no, I heard the favored consort has a doll-like face and doesn't look old."

Now everyone in the hougong knows of the existence of Jiang Yuner, the favored consort.

Coincidentally, just when he lacked sons, especially clever ones, a smart son suddenly appeared—how could that not be problematic?

The tutors also welcomed his progress; a clumsy bird striving to fly might yet become a true ace.

This fifteenth prince is simply a great surprise.

He need not sacrifice a consort who bore him no children, causing two princes to lose their mother.

Such childish talk made the emperor burst into laughter, his long‑absent mood improving a bit.

After half a day, the tutors' smiles never faded; their mouths grinned so wide they could hardly close, each delighted at the prospect of gain.

They lived as if to exact revenge, attacking indiscriminately in the hougong; later, one of these two consorts was poisoned into foolishness, the other drowned herself.

Having stayed all along in the little cold palace—no need to ask, one knows it's surely another illiterate prince! Even if a prince's mother taught him to read, he'd surely know only a few characters.

"Did the cat deity steal… the delicacies from the imperial kitchen and drag them to the little cold palace? For the fifteenth prince and the favored consort?"

Back then, those who framed the favored consort were the mothers of the tenth and eleventh princes; a few years earlier, when the tenth and eleventh princes went to Jiangnan for disaster relief, they encountered a landslide and were buried in the mud.

As for the fifteenth prince, his mother came from the common folk, with no backing—this too was something the old emperor most approved of.

The imperial kitchen's chefs have superb skills, their work meals fragrant, yet their mood remains gloomy; even eating dragon liver and phoenix marrow cannot make them happy.

But the old emperor is satisfied; the aristocratic clans certainly are not—they'd rather he choose a prince of clan birth, even if that prince were a fool!

"The favored consort is already in her twenties, isn't she? I wonder what she looks like."

Coincidentally, now that his sons have been ruined in such numbers, he needs to add new ones.

The princes slaughter each other without cease; from a small perspective, they lack brotherly feeling; from a large perspective, it is clearly the various clans gaming behind his sons, failing to gauge the balance, causing all his sons to perish.

The old emperor investigated the experiences of the favored consort and the fifteenth prince; the favored consort is timid and guileless, yet she deemed the lenggong safer and more suitable for raising children—initially a bit bitter, but after the cat deity brought them food every few days, mother and son grew plump and white.

The emperor's paranoia is severe, growing ever more suspicious.

Upon seeing the man beside her son, her expression shifted: "Your, Your Majesty!"

The old emperor ignored them, ordering the dark guards to continue investigating.

He not only didn't think the fifteenth prince bad, but also felt he was worthy of being raised by a food‑loving mother—a little gourmet whose thoughts are all about eating, making him simpler than his other sons.

He too was frightened by those clans; what if he found a strong maternal house—would his newly appointed crown prince meet an untimely end shortly after?

Just then, a plump woman emerged from the ruined palace, calling: "Mingzhi, do you have…"

When the old emperor saw the dark guards' investigation results, he also felt this seemed like an Arabian night tale—until he witnessed it himself.

Leaving aside the hougong's clamor, the tutors in the imperial study, upon hearing this news, couldn't help but see black before their eyes.

No need to say; by then the favored consort will surely be the common enemy of the hougong!

In the study, the learned lecturers wore stern faces, staring at the princes below.

In preparation for taking Jiang Yuner and her son out of the Cold Palace, the old emperor restored Jiang Yuner's status.

Upon hearing this, the concubines all felt sour beyond bearing.

The eldest prince was already twelve, the youngest only six; the princes scratched their heads and tugged their ears, and whether it was the lecturers or the students, everyone felt mentally exhausted.

The rectified harem fell silent once again.

After hearing this, the people of the Imperial Medical Institute also suddenly realized: "The Cat God once came to the Imperial Medical Institute to fetch medicine; presumably it was for Consort Yue."

However, the situation was far from what they had expected; the clumsy birds were almost flying themselves to exhaustion, yet not a single one became a smart bird.

After watching this, the old emperor said: "It turns out that only a cultured cat remains."

The lecturers who were teaching looked on, weary in heart.

By this time, the old emperor had grown so old that he preferred to believe in fate; Heaven had sent a miraculous cat, perhaps to give him an heir.

Thus, before Jiang Yuner and her son had moved out of the Cold Palace, the young prince was taken to the study to read.

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