The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 219
by Little PandaAre You Threatening This Prince?
Inside the Court Assembly Hall, the civil and military officials all turned their gazes toward Qu Yu. Qu Yu looked up, his hands nervously rubbing together beneath his desk. He smiled and asked, “Is the news reliable?”
Seeing Qu Yu looking ready to claim a free victory, Gong Lianlang felt a brief flash of disdain. He bowed and replied, “This subject is willing to guarantee it with his head: everything is fully within our control.”
Hearing this, a somewhat greedy smile appeared on Qu Yu’s face, and his gaze began to wander as if he were deep in thought.
“Your Highness?”
“Ah?” Pulled back from his straying thoughts, Qu Yu looked somewhat flustered as he turned around. Seeing so many eyes staring at him from below, he quickly smiled and said, “Since you, my lords, think so highly of me, this prince will accept. Er, as for the auspicious day, the sooner, of course, the better.” He nodded with a foolish grin.
Gong Lianlang seemed highly satisfied by these words and turned his head to look at the Left Chancellor beside him. However, as Left Chancellor Qi Jinfu observed Qu Yu’s reaction, he grew somewhat worried.
In his youth, Qu Yu had been a mischievous boy, and once he left for the Capital City, he rarely returned. Qi Jinfu knew very little about him, other than the fact that he had been poisoned after his marriage and was still in poor health, saved only because Qu Sheng had found a renowned physician to treat him.
A person’s temperament could change due to physical ailments. A coup had occurred in the Haichao Kingdom, and those people were currently missing, yet Qu Yu remained completely unhurried, never once asking if Qu Sheng and the others were even still alive.
Qi Jinfu didn’t know if allowing him to ascend the throne as emperor was the right decision or a mistake.
Yet things had reached such a state that among the descendants of the Qu family, only Qu Yu was a viable candidate. If Qu Jixian had wanted to become emperor himself, he wouldn’t have handed the throne to Qu Sheng in the first place—though one couldn’t rule out the fact that Qu Sheng held absolute military power.
If the throne were to pass to another surname, it would inevitably trigger a mutiny among the Qu Family Army, who were fiercely loyal to the Qu line. Only a member of the Qu family inheriting the throne could suppress the ambitions of the vassal kings and marquises within the borders.
“In half a month. Half a month from now is an auspicious day. What does Your Highness think?” Left Chancellor Qi Jinfu asked, looking up.
“Excellent, excellent. Half a month it is, then,” Qu Yu said, once more rubbing his hands together beneath the desk. Before anyone could even carry the news out, he stood up and asked Qi Jinfu, “Can we make it a bit faster? Delays bring complications, and this prince wants to settle this as soon as possible, if only to finally get a good night’s sleep.”
Qi Jinfu lowered his eyes in thought upon hearing this. Beside him, Gong Lianlang quickly smiled and asked, “How much faster does Your Highness want it to be?”
Qu Yu blinked, feigning deep contemplation. Below the dais, the officials stared up at him, each harboring their own hidden calculations.
“Ten days. How about ten days?” Qu Yu asked in a consultative tone.
Gong Lianlang lowered his eyes to ponder this as well, then turned to the Left Chancellor. “What does the Left Chancellor think?”
Qi Jinfu raised his head to look at Qu Yu, then at Gong Lianlang, and said, “Very well.” The officials waiting to offer their congratulations had already begun making their way toward the Capital City. Some who lived closer were already inside the city.
Gong Lianlang took a step forward, cupping his hands. “Then we request that Your Highness ascend the throne in ten days.”
A few days later.
Among the military camps of the various divisions of Quzhao, only one last outpost had yet to surrender. The military tally, which had been recovered from the Seaside Palace of Haichao, had already been handed to Zhan Anhe, a veteran who had fought alongside Qu Sheng and had been conferred the rank of Cavalry Lieutenant1.
Carrying the military tally, Zhan Anhe had traveled from place to place, using its authority to order Quzhao’s garrisoned troops to subjugate regional garrisons everywhere.
Now, with only one outpost remaining, Zhan Anhe pressed onward without a moment’s rest, prepared to persuade them to surrender without shedding a drop of blood, just as he had done with the others.
Without pausing once along the way, Zhan Anhe arrived at the garrison outpost with his men.
Seeing Zhan Anhe approach with several thousand cavalrymen, all clad in the military uniform of the Quzhao Dynasty, the garrison’s assistant commander cupped his hands and asked, “May I ask which general has arrived?”
“Cavalry Lieutenant Zhan Anhe, acting on Her Majesty’s imperial command to take over military authority here! Summon General Nie Zhuang at once to receive his orders,” Zhan Anhe commanded, pulling on his horse’s reins without making any move to dismount.
The garrison’s assistant commander looked slightly taken aback but quickly cupped his hands. “Please wait a moment, General Zhan. This subordinate will go invite General Nie at once.”
Zhan Anhe watched the man walk inside. He glanced up at the sky; darkness was already beginning to shroud the sky. It seemed they would have to rest nearby tonight.
The assistant commander entered the central command tent. After only fifteen minutes, the garrison commander, Nie Zhuang, emerged.
Upon seeing Zhan Anhe, Nie Zhuang hastily clasped his hands in greeting. “Ah, General Zhan, you’re a rare guest indeed!”
Sitting atop his horse with one hand wrapped in the reins, Zhan Anhe clasped his hands in return. “Cavalry Lieutenant Zhan Anhe, here by Her Majesty’s imperial decree to take over the garrison. I expect General Nie’s cooperation.” As he spoke, he flashed the military tally.
“Of course, of course! Since it’s Her Majesty’s verbal command, how could I possibly not cooperate?” General Nie replied, a smile plastered across his face as his eyes lingered on the military tally for several moments.
Zhan Anhe cast a glance at him, tucked the military tally away, and raised a hand, gesturing behind him. A military officer stepped forward from his ranks.
“This is General Liang. The troops previously commanded by General Feng will henceforth be under his command. Go and hand over the duties,” Zhan Anhe said, looking at the two men.
Nie Zhuang cupped his hands to General Liang, who dismounted and returned the gesture. “You’ve worked hard, General Nie,” General Liang said. “This place will be left to this Liang from now on. General Nie, please pack your things and head to the Capital City as soon as possible to report for duty.”
Hearing this, Nie Zhuang smiled. “Very well. After you, General Liang.”
The two entered the camp while Zhan Anhe waited outside. Before long, General Liang and General Nie emerged once more. General Liang saluted and said, “General Zhan, the handover of the army is complete. Why not rest here for the night before leaving?”
Zhan Anhe glanced at the sky. “No, it’s better if I return to the Capital City as quickly as possible.”
Though his task was finished and there was no real need to rush back, staying in this place while carrying the military tally made him worry that someone might harbor ill intentions.
“General Zhan.” Seeing that Zhan Anhe refused to stay, General Liang could only change his tune. “Even if General Zhan is in a hurry to return, you still have to wait for General Nie to finish packing. This subordinate has already ordered wine and dishes to be prepared. It won’t be too late to leave after you’ve had something to eat.”
At the mention of wine and food, Zhan Anhe’s stomach indeed began to rumble. He glanced back at the soldiers accompanying him, then turned back. “Very well, we’ll eat here before leaving.”
Zhan Anhe dismounted, and his men followed suit. He and his close confidants were guided toward the reception tent reserved for visiting envoys.
The rest of his men were led elsewhere.
Soldiers stood guard beside the tent, but they made no move to lift the flap as Zhan Anhe approached. Zhan Anhe cast a glance at them and raised his own hand to draw open the curtain. Yet the moment he parted it and caught a glimpse of what lay inside, his eyes widened instantly, and he instinctively tried to retreat.
But before he could complete his backward step, General Nie, standing right behind him, delivered a sharp kick to his backside.
“In you go!”
Zhan Anhe stumbled forward. The force of the kick was so immense that it sent him sprawling flat onto the ground.
Sprawled on the dirt, Zhan Anhe still managed to lift his head to look. The moment he clearly saw the face of the person before him, he scrambled backward, propping himself up on his hands.
“Y—Your Majesty!” Zhan Anhe gasped in sheer terror, addressing the calmly seated Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng kept her eyes lowered, looking down at him. When he scrambled to his knees, her lips twitched into a cold smile. “General Zhan is quite magnificent. You’ve achieved monumental merits on this journey. I wonder what sort of official post Qi Jinfu promised you upon your return?”
“Your Majesty, this subject knows his crime! This subject knows his crime…” Having followed Qu Sheng through numerous eastern and western campaigns in the past, Zhan Anhe knew exactly what kind of end awaited him for opposing her.
In his haste to secure success, he hadn’t brought a large force with him, only three thousand cavalry guards. But the garrison stationed here numbered fifty thousand strong; even if he grew wings, he could not escape.
General Liang, who had entered alongside him, was also kneeling on the ground.
As Qu Sheng’s gaze swept over them, Nie Zhuang had already stepped forward, kicking Zhan Anhe flat onto his back. Pinning him down with a foot, Nie Zhuang fished the military tally from the man’s breast pocket.
“Your Majesty,” Nie Zhuang said, presenting the military tally before Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng cast a downward glance at it, then peered coldly at Zhan Anhe with a sneer. “Did you really think this thing could mobilize my army?”
Qu Yu, who was hastily preparing to ascend the throne, had already spent many days in the palace. During this time, countless people had come to seek him out, one after another.
Imperial decrees written by Qu Yu piled up one after another, waiting only for his enthronement to be read aloud and dispatched across the land.
“Your Highness, the Cheng clan of Yuyang, the Fu clan of Shuohe, the Hu clan of Ninghe, the Jinyi…”
Listening to Gong Lianlang recite the roster of Quzhao’s prominent aristocratic clans, Qu Yu cut him off impatiently. “Enough, enough. Just let them all in directly. Whatever they’re pleading for, they can say it all at once.”
Gong Lianlang raised his eyes to Qu Yu and smiled. “This subject will bring them in at once.”
Qu Yu waved his hand, picking up his tea to take another sip. Over the past few days, a steady stream of visitors had arrived—either local magnates or officials from noble clans—all of whom, without exception, pressured him to abolish the policies previously enacted by Qu Sheng.
As Qu Yu sipped his tea, his gaze followed Gong Lianlang out the door.
A moment later, several men entered. Some were clad in official robes, while others wore luxurious silk garments.
The crowd knelt in unison, calling out in unison, “We pay our respects to Your Highness, King Long!”
Seeing so many people arrive at once, Qu Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and pressed his lips together, remaining silent.
Sensing the tension, Gong Lianlang quickly interjected, “Your Highness, these gentlemen have matters they wish to petition you for.”
Hearing this, Qu Yu looked at Gong Lianlang with a completely expressionless face. Gong Lianlang was also momentarily taken aback and could only retreat to the side in silence.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew solemn. Qu Yu stood up and walked down to stand before the gathered crowd.
Some of these people he had met before, others he hadn’t, but without exception, they were all ‘victims’ of Qu Sheng’s policies.
“Speak. What is it you want this prince to do?”
The kneeling men raised their heads, exchanging glances. One of them spoke up: “Your Highness, when Her Majesty founded the dynasty, she immediately turned her blade on us, seizing our lands and abolishing our inherent privileges. Such targeting has left us with grievances we can barely voice. We hope that upon your accession, Your Highness will halt the land measurements and restore our clans’ recommendation rights!”
Qu Yu stared at him, his face showing a clear sign of resistance. “You prominent clans already possess more than enough land. Her Majesty was merely putting the common people first, so it’s best that this remains unchanged. As for recommending officials, this prince actually thinks Her Majesty’s policy is highly wise. Selecting officials based on talent and learning is, after all, only fair.”
“Your Highness!”
“Come now, the children of your prominent clans can just as easily sit for the examinations to earn rank. It’s not as if you’re forbidden from taking them. Why waste your breath on such matters?” As Qu Yu spoke, he turned back to pick up his tea, gently blowing on the surface before bringing the rim to his lips.
“Your Highness hasn’t lost anything, so of course you don’t care about such matters. Our clans enjoyed centuries of privileges under the previous dynasty; how can they be cast aside so easily? If Your Highness refuses to agree, then your imperial throne might not be sat upon so securely.”
At this blatant threat, Qu Yu choked on his tea and began to cough violently.
“Presumptuous!” Gong Lianlang bellowed, reprimanding the speaker.
A look of stubborn defiance flashed across the man’s face. Once Qu Yu’s coughing subsided slightly, the man pressed on: “Without the support of our clans, Your Highness’s throne will surely be difficult to sustain for long. Why not do something that benefits both sides? As long as Your Highness agrees to our request, we’ll ensure you sit securely upon this throne.”
Qu Yu furrowed his brows as he glared at the assembly. The sharp-tongued speaker was from the Fu clan of Shuohe, yet despite his brazenly seditious words, none of the others made any move to stop him.
Qu Yu’s expression turned frigid. “Are you threatening this prince?”
“Please appease your anger, Your Highness. This humble subject thinks we should assemble the officials to discuss this further.” Having spoken to Qu Yu, Gong Lianlang then looked down at the kneeling nobles. “Gentlemen, please return with this official for now. Once we’ve deliberated and reached a decision, we’ll give you an answer.”
Gong Lianlang tried to placate both sides, but neither was willing to yield. Qu Yu stood straight, turning his back in anger to ignore them, while the noble petitioners simply stood up and marched straight out of the hall.
Gong Lianlang cast a worried glance at Qu Yu, bowed quickly, and hurried out after them.
By the time Gong Lianlang returned, Qu Yu had already seated himself and begun reviewing memorials. Many of the newly submitted memorials were pleas to abolish same-sex marriage, though there were also some congratulating Qu Yu on his upcoming accession.
“Your Highness.”
Qu Yu raised his head to look at the bowing official. “Does Lord Gong have any other business?”
Gong Lianlang forced an awkward smile and replied, “News has arrived from outside the palace. The final garrison is now under our control.”
Qu Yu nodded. But just as a faint smile began to touch his face, Gong Lianlang pivoted the conversation. “Does Your Highness intend to agree to the demands of those prominent clans?”
Qu Yu knitted his brows in feigned confusion. “Does Lord Gong think this prince should agree?”
Gong Lianlang let out a brief, dry laugh. “This humble subject believes this matter requires careful deliberation, but indeed, it’s an arrangement that benefits both sides.”
“Oh? What insights does Lord Gong have?”
Gong Lianlang straightened slightly, meeting Qu Yu’s gaze as he smiled. “This humble subject believes we ought to agree.”
“And your reasons?”
“Although Your Highness only met with a few individuals today, they represent every prominent clan in our Quzhao Dynasty. Most of the officials in the court are either their clansmen or their disciples. If you don’t agree, then your hold on the throne may indeed become unstable, just as they warned. Don’t forget, Your Highness, that even the Left Chancellor belongs to one of these prominent clans.” As he reached the end, Gong Lianlang pointedly reminded Qu Yu that the mastermind behind the wider petition was the Left Chancellor himself.
“This prince doesn’t believe it. Unless these people submit a joint petition, this prince will absolutely not allow himself to be led by the nose!”
Gong Lianlang stared at the angry Qu Yu. Keeping his head bowed, his eyes darted upward as if weighing Qu Yu’s words.
Three days later, a joint petition arrived on Qu Yu’s desk. It was signed by representatives of the prominent clans alongside numerous court officials, requesting the abolition of the land measurement reforms and the restoration of the clans’ recommendation rights. Additionally, the vassal kings and marquises demanded that their noble titles be made hereditary in perpetuity2, rather than descending by one rank with each generation, and that no younger sons aside from the eldest legitimate son be permitted to inherit or divide their fiefdoms.
Qu Yu picked up the list. Looking at the signatures and ink thumbprints covering the pages, he furrowed his brows and looked up at Gong Lianlang.
In just three days, nearly a thousand people had signed this document.
A few days later, the palace servants were busily scurrying about to prepare for the new emperor’s enthronement. Having finished reviewing the last of the memorials, Qu Yu let out a yawn. Seeing this, a nearby maid stepped forward and asked, “Is Your Highness ready to rest?”
Qu Yu cast a sidelong glance at her. This maid had been attending to him for the past few days, yet he hadn’t taken a proper look at her. Now that he observed her closely, she was indeed quite attractive.
“Yes.” Qu Yu nodded, rising to his feet.
The maid brought a cloak over and draped it over Qu Yu’s shoulders. Qu Yu lowered his eyes to look at her, and a trace of bashfulness colored her face.
Qu Yu sneered inwardly but smiled back at her.
These people were truly meticulous; they’d even delivered his future empress straight to his side.
Outside the Capital City, at the zi hour, with only a single day remaining before Qu Yu’s coronation, the vassal kings and marquises from various regions were returning to the capital to attend the grand enthronement ceremony.
“I am Marquis Anxiang, Pei Jiushan, here to congratulate the new emperor on his accession! Open the gates and let us in!” Marquis Anxiang shouted from atop his Ferghana horse, calling up to the guards on the city walls below.
Unable to make a decision, the guards atop the wall dispatched someone to inform the officer in charge of the gate.
Before long, another troop arrived. They shouted up toward the battlements, “The vanguard of Prince Fuping, Wu Jihui, enters the capital under orders! Please show some flexibility, officers, and we’ll reward you handsomely!”
Looking down at the crowd gathering below, the guards atop the wall felt a wave of suspicion. How come they’re all arriving in the dead of night? they grumbled to themselves.
Seeing that there weren’t many people below, the summoned city defense commander ordered the gates opened. Yet once the gates parted and the riders entered, they were never closed again.
Countless soldiers trampled over the corpses of the guards, surging into the city and charging straight for the imperial palace.
Signal fireworks exploded high in the night sky over the city. The gates of the imperial palace swung open from within. Leading her forces, Qu Sheng swept into the palace, securing the joint petition from Qu Yu’s hands.
An operation of catching turtles in a jar, drawing them like moths to a flame—this sweep would ensure that the foundations of Quzhao remained unshakable for a century to come.
Qu Sheng handed the list over to Xiao Bingying, who was clad in full armor, instructing her to arrest every official in the Capital City according to the names on the petition.
As for the noble clans who weren’t currently in the city, Qu Sheng dispatched forces to ride through the night, ordering them to seize their estates and execute their entire lineages on charges of treason. Any official found to have ties to these prominent clans was to be apprehended as well.
Lin Xizhao and the others entered the city and headed straight to Nanting Courtyard. Cheng Xi and Zhao Jiayu led their forces to disarm and capture all the city defense patrol soldiers stationed outside. With the precious sword given to her years ago by Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao hanging at her waist, Zhao Jiayu looked at the bound, kneeling soldiers of the patrol. With a suppressed smile on her face, she proudly stroked her armor, feeling smug in her heart for a long time.
Standing beside Zhao Jiayu, Cheng Xi watched her smug, adorable look and suddenly understood why Xiao Bingying doted on her younger sister so much. She was indeed exceptionally endearing.
Lin Xizhao walked into Nanting Courtyard holding Qu Zhimu. When Jin Yunfei saw them, her face was a picture of absolute bewilderment.
“Mother.”
“Grand-aunt.”
Lin Xizhao and Qu Zhimu called out simultaneously. Jin Yunfei stepped closer, taking Qu Zhimu into her arms as the girl reached out to be held. Seeing that she was perfectly safe and sound, Jin Yunfei turned to Lin Xizhao and asked, “What on earth is happening?” They had been confined to the residence for many days, completely cut off from any news from the outside. Seeing so many soldiers suddenly enter, she was utterly lost.
With a gentle, warm smile, Lin Xizhao said, “Let Sheng’er explain it to you when she returns tomorrow.”
At this very moment, Qu Sheng sat upon the throne in the great hall, clad in cold, imposing golden armor. She looked down at the arrested officials, as well as the marquises and vassal kings who had been dragged directly from their respective fiefdoms.
Beside the dragon throne, Qu Yu remained seated in the chair of the Prince Regent, slowly and leisurely sipping his tea.
The author has something to say:
Zhao Jiayu: “I finally got to act all grand and mighty! I want to join the military from now on.”
Qu Yu: “No, no! I’m frail and helpless. I can’t breathe without you!”
Zhao Jiayu: “Men are such a burden.”
Qu Yu: “Waaah…”
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