Chapter 28: The Emperor and His Son

The Emperor heard that the second girl of the Jun family had deeply inherited the true teachings of the divine physician Fang, her golden needles possessing supernatural skill, and that she had awakened the Prime Minister’s wife from a stroke. The Emperor was greatly pleased:

"Yu'er, have you bestowed any rewards upon that girl?"

Quan Aoyu replied, "Your son has not yet bestowed any rewards upon her. Your son does not know what she favors, and hopes for Father’s guidance."

Seeing that his son’s attitude toward him today had changed drastically—seeming much closer, and speaking more than he had in years—the Emperor felt a mix of joy and confusion. He raised his eyebrows slightly:

"I have noticed that in recent days, your expression seems to have softened quite a bit because of that little girl."

"Come to think of it, when that girl was three, I even held her. The moment she saw me, she burrowed straight into my arms, not afraid of me at all. I liked her very much. I just don't know why, later on, she was rumored to be the way she was?"

"Father, the second young lady of the Jun family is of noble character. Your son believes it may be a misunderstanding by others."

The Emperor nodded:

"Your evaluation of that girl is indeed very high. Very well, since that girl is skilled in medicine, you may bestow upon her the few medical books treasured in the palace. Also, see to it that some wealth is awarded; I hear that girl is not favored in her household, so I fear she is not well-off. As for physical objects, skip those; I hear that girl’s courtyard is barely larger than a sparrow, so she likely has no place to put them."

Yesterday, the girl said she lacked money, and today his father was going to reward her with silver. Quan Aoyu found it somewhat amusing; his expression softened even further, and he smiled as he agreed. Just before leaving, Quan Aoyu turned back slightly:

"Although it is summer, the night air is cold, Father... take care of your health."

Since the Empress went missing five years ago, the Emperor had never seen this son of his smile. Every time the Emperor thought of his cold-faced, heartless son over these years, a sense of indescribable loss and helplessness would well up in his heart. He knew Yu'er was blaming him for abandoning his mother back then. After all these years of awkwardness, this smile today, and the words "Father, take care of your health," actually made the Emperor’s eyes sting.

Only after Quan Aoyu’s back disappeared outside the hall did the Emperor regain his senses.

He said faintly to the old Eunuch beside him:

"Little Xizi, tell me, does this son of mine no longer blame me?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, in truth, the Crown Prince has always been concerned for Your Majesty. The Crown Prince was outside the hall last night..."

The Emperor understood; Yu'er had untied the knot in his heart. The Emperor felt joy and relief in his heart, and his appetite was so good that day that he ate an extra bowl of rice at dinner.

The vast, boundless blue sky was as clear and limpid as if washed by clean water, with white clouds drifting leisurely in the air. A gentle breeze brushed across the earth, bringing a pleasant coolness and a fresh scent. It made one feel incomparably comfortable and at ease. In the summer, today’s sunlight was not scorching or dazzling.

Quan Aoyu was dressed in a magnificent brocade robe with a white jade belt at his waist. His posture was as upright as a pine, and he sat steadily upon a steed with a coat as white as snow. The horse was tall and powerful; it held its head high, its mane fluttering in the wind, its four limbs strong and sturdy, its hooves making a crisp and rhythmic sound as they struck the ground.

When Quan Aoyu appeared before the crowd, his innate air of distinction and natural nobility instantly captured the gaze of all the young ladies present. They stopped what they were doing one after another, staring unblinkingly, their eyes filled with admiration. For a time, the entire street became quiet, with only Quan Aoyu and the white horse beneath him becoming the focus of everyone’s sight—it truly dazzled the eyes of all the young ladies!

Behind him followed a group of attendants and guards, marching in a grand procession toward the Jun residence.

The crowd discussed the matter, wondering what the Jun family had done wrong.

Quan Aoyu brought the Emperor’s rewards to the Jun residence to proclaim the decree. When this procession arrived at the gates of the Jun residence, the entire household fell into a state of tension and solemnity. The gatekeeper of the Jun family saw from afar that the Crown Prince had come in person with a troop of men; terrified and pale, he rushed inside to report.

Before long, the members of the Jun family, not knowing if this was a blessing or a curse, hurried out to greet them.

Jun Zhengming led his wives, concubines, and children, lining up neatly at the entrance. Except for Jun Zijin, everyone’s face revealed a look of panic and unease. They bowed their heads, knelt to the ground, and shouted in unison: "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Their respectful voices held a trace of trembling.

Quan Aoyu nodded slightly, dismounted, and walked steadily to the front of the crowd. He scanned the group, raised a hand slightly, and with Quan Aoyu’s word of "Rise," the members of the Jun family, who had been secretly speculating, all breathed a sigh of relief.

Quan Aoyu ordered his attendants to move the chests into the Jun residence. Only then did everyone see the many chests of various sizes placed outside the gate. The members of the Jun family looked at each other in confusion. Quan Aoyu explained the purpose of his visit today: those chests were all rewards from the Emperor to the second young lady of the Jun family.

As attendants moved the chests in and out, the head Eunuch calmly recited the list of rewards:

"The Emperor has a decree: The second young lady of the Jun family has rendered meritorious service in treating the Prime Minister’s wife. Hearing that the girl is not favored in the household, I fear she is not well-off. Today, I bestow several rare medical books, ten thousand taels of silver, and one hundred taels of gold. As for physical objects, skip those; I hear that girl’s courtyard is barely larger than a sparrow, so she likely has no place to put them."

The head Eunuch repeated the Emperor’s words exactly as they were. Some present were dumbfounded, while others were overcome with shame.

Before the crowd could recover, the head Eunuch’s voice sounded again:

"The Crown Prince bestows upon the second young lady 20 bolts of Cloud Brocade, 30 bolts of Shu Brocade, and 3 shops. His Highness said, 'The second young lady does not even have clothing worthy of her status to meet me in. Minister Jun is upright and clean-handed, so I fear your residence is short on fine fabrics.'"

Sure enough, the attendants brought in several more large chests.

Now, not to mention the wives and young ladies of the various courtyards in the residence who were jealous to the point of madness, even Zhou Yiniang, who had always been dutiful and reclusive, could not remain calm.

Cloud Brocade and Shu Brocade were extremely rare in the Tianqi Kingdom, especially Cloud Brocade, which was considered the most top-tier luxury item even in the 21st century, hailed as an "Oriental Treasure." The weaving process for Cloud Brocade was extremely complex; even in the 21st century, it still required pure manual labor, with only five centimeters woven per day, hence the saying, "An inch of brocade is worth an inch of gold." Palace consorts were issued it every season according to fixed quotas.

The Crown Prince had waved his hand and given away 20 bolts; if any family produced such a spendthrift, they would likely have their legs broken.

Jun Yiyi was so jealous she could vomit blood. The first Lady wished she could scour the entire country for good things for this daughter, yet even Jun Yiyi had never worn Cloud Brocade. Of the 20 bolts bestowed by the Crown Prince, not a single one was for her. She almost forgot the gentle and kind persona she had maintained for over ten years; if the Crown Prince had not still been there, she might have jumped up to snatch them by force.

The first Lady felt Jun Yiyi trembling and immediately guessed what she was thinking. The first Lady gripped Jun Yiyi’s hand tightly and whispered in her ear: "Endure it a little longer. In the future, all of these will be yours."

Jun Zijin was also stunned to hear that the Crown Prince had come to deliver rewards. When she saw the pile of medical books, gold, and silver, her eyes were filled with joy; this had solved her most urgent need.

After the head Eunuch finished speaking, Jun Zijin let out a "pfft," nearly choking. These two father and son were truly... powerful in their bloodline.

At this moment, Jun Zhengming’s face, which was usually quite handsome, turned from green to white. The muscles on his face twitched incessantly. He felt as if his entire body was burning hot, as if he were being roasted on a fire, making him feel unbearably uncomfortable and so embarrassed that he wished he could find a deep hole and crawl into it immediately.

With the Emperor and his son providing such divine assistance, Jun Zijin naturally would not waste it. She said faintly: "Father, the Emperor and the Crown Prince have bestowed such great grace, but my courtyard is indeed too small. Perhaps I should store these brocades in the warehouse of my former courtyard? I implore Father to grant permission, and I ask that eldest sister provide me with a set of keys to the warehouse."

The expression on Jun Zhengming’s face at this moment was a spectacular visual feast, changing like a chameleon—first green, then white, then flushing deep red. He looked as stunned as if struck by lightning, clearly embarrassed to the extreme. Even the Madam Wu beside him was now twisted with extreme awkwardness, as if she had been slapped hard several times, unable to maintain her composure at all.

Everyone had different thoughts: some were relieved, some worshipful, some jealous, and some filled with both hate and envy. The first Lady and Jun Yiyi kept their heads down; Jun Yiyi bit her lip tightly, and the first Lady dug her nails into her palms. The first Lady had already made a plan in her heart. Now that Jun Zhengming was angry with her and Jun Yiyi, to turn the situation around, she would have to pay a price. As for that girl, let her be proud for a few more days.

After Jun Zhengming welcomed Quan Aoyu and his party into the front hall for tea, Jun Zijin personally saw Quan Aoyu out of the residence and handed him a piece of paper recording the technical formula for refining stainless steel:

"Your Highness, please have this recopied later. I used a charcoal stick to write it, so it is easy to smudge."

Quan Aoyu was overjoyed and asked about some details in depth. As soon as he returned to the palace, he immediately began making arrangements. That girl had told him that once stainless steel was refined, it could be used not only for wheelchairs, but also for door frames, window frames, pots, bowls, and basins—all could be brought into the world.