The expressions of Prince Wu’s two confidant also changed when they read the note.

“So it’s like this…”

“I really didn’t expect it. I thought Yin Zhaoxian was the most unlikely person to be drawn into the royal struggle. I didn’t expect…”

“Haha, that would be true under normal circumstances, but Prince Jin had already brought Yin Zhaoxian in when he was still a commoner. That is the key.”

Prince Wu looked at the gloomy sky outside the hall. His mood was even more indescribable. In addition to anger and anxiety, there was also an inexplicable sense of humiliation.

At the beginning, he had tried to win over Yin Zhaoxian several times with full sincerity. However, now that he thought about it, Yin Zhaoxian probably laughed at his attempts. His third brother and even his father must have seen it all as a joke.

‘Hmph… I guess this prince is about to become a laughingstock. ’

Prince Wu could imagine how his third brother might have mocked him behind his back, and he could even imagine how indifferent his father might have looked behind his desk in the imperial study upon seeing his ridiculous behavior.

Prince Wu Yang Qing knew very well what kind of person his father was, and what kind of personality he had, because he himself had the same personality. Being ridiculed and looked down upon would definitely negatively impact his efforts for the Dragon Throne.

‘No wonder third brother has been so quiet recently… I’m afraid he was just waiting for Yin Zhaoxian to arrive in the capital!’¹

“Yin Zhaoxian was indeed hiding very deeply, I did not expect this…”

As he spoke, Prince Wu had already clenched his fists tightly, and took a deep breath before continuing.

“However, it’s still unclear who will win.² I admit my third brother is indeed capable, but just relying on Yin Zhaoxian alone will not influence Father Emperor much. I know my father’s personality…”

“Your Royal Highness is right! Even if a small governor is favored by the emperor, how can he still influence the emperor’s decisions?”

“Yes, we cannot lose our composure at this moment!”

Prince Wu turned around and nodded with a smile.

“There are far more ministers in the court who support me than the third prince. I believe that, from most people’s perspective, supporting me has the greatest chance of success. Several auxiliary ministers also support the succession of the eldest prince. No matter what, I still have a greater chance of succeeding.”

Having finished these words, Prince Wu’s smile narrowed, and he fixed his eyes on his two confidants.

“However, although the support of many ministers in the court is an affirmation of my position and a great benefit, given the insidiousness of the third prince, if he really uses some means to deceive my father and have him issue an edict to pass the throne to him, although my identity as a prince can protect me, those ministers who supported me will be liquidated in the future.”

Prince Wu narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at a sword hanging in the hall.

“Just in case, we still have to make some preparations… What do you think?”

Prince Wu lowered his voice and glanced back at the Minister of War and the official of the Department of State Affairs. Their backs were sweating. They glanced at each other. No one dared to speak.

. . .

Although Emperor Yuan De’s health was in decline, he attended the court over the next seven or eight days, a rare occurrence.

Although Yin Zhaoxian was the governor of Wan Province, he also attended court.

Many of the court officials, both civil and military, could already sense that the emperor was making arrangements for the future after his passing. For example, he had begun assigning some tasks that should have long since been delegated to the ministers of various departments, as he had previously often seen to matters that should have been their responsibility.

As another example, the emperor had either sentenced those serious criminals whose names he could remember to severe punishments in the dungeons, or he had released them to return to the court, all to prevent a possible misguided amnesty in the future. Some people who displeased him might have been included in the scope of the sentencing.

He also deliberately urged the Department of State Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel to assess Yin Zhaoxian’s achievements, with the intention of transferring him to the capital and promoting him.

However, during this period, he had not mentioned a single detail with regards the the establishment of succession, not even asking for ministers to name their princes. He ignored the princes at morning court, only paying attention to those who presented reports.

This situation was a torment for the two princes, both Prince Jin and Prince Wu.

Ji Yuan was no voyeur; although he had originally come to observe this scene, he naturally visited Prince Jin and Prince Wu’s palaces separately and only briefly, not observing any details, and he never once entered the imperial palace.

Interestingly, ever since Yin Zhaoxian entered the capital, both princes had become pessimistic about their chances in the outcome of the old emperor’s establishment of succession, even to a certain extent exacerbating the situation. Each had their own backup plans, some exaggerated, others justified. It had to be said that, although they weren’t born of the same mother, they truly were brothers.

In order to avoid suspicion, Yin Zhaoxian largely remained at the inn during this period of time when he wasn’t attending court or handling official business at various government offices. Both Prince Wu and Prince Jin sent various people to contact him, but they were all turned away.

It was the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the Yang Festival.³

Yin Zhaoxian was living alone in his own single-family house, in a separate courtyard in the largest inn in the Capital Prefecture. Guards were posted around the exterior, and servants and stewards served him inside the grounds. At this moment, he was busy writing in his room.

“Knock knock knock…”

“Who is it?”

A calm and dignified voice sounded from outside the door.

“It’s me.”

Yin Zhaoxian inside the room paused when he heard the sound and quickly set down his brush. He walked around the desk and personally went to the door to open it. Sure enough, he saw Ji Yuan standing outside, cupping his hands in a bow.

“Master Yin, how have you been recently?”

“Mr. Ji? You’re in the Capital Prefecture? Please come in!”

Yin Zhaoxian returned the bow and stepped aside to invite him in. He glanced outside, but then realized that Ji Yuan was no ordinary person, so the guards’ and servants’ lack of reaction was understandable, and he stopped dwelling on it.

Only after Ji Yuan entered the room did Yin Zhaoxian begin to speak to him, slightly surprised.

“Mr. Ji, it’s been almost three years since we last met in Wan Province! Did you come to the capital this time to find me? Or did you come to see Qing’er? Although he only got second rank in the imperial examinations, he must have been hiding his abilities. That’s just as well, after all, the excessive attention on me isn’t a good thing…”

Yin Zhaoxian, whom the court and the public did not consider to be a talkative person, was now chattering nonstop, leaving Ji Yuan no room to interrupt.

‘Alright, whatever you say.’

Ji Yuan sighed helplessly in his heart. He actually quite understood his friend’s excitement. While listening to Yin Zhaoxian’s words, he walked to the desk and saw what Yin Zhaoxian had been writing before.

It wasn’t a report to the court, nor was it an official document, nor some romantic poem or couplet, but rather a teaching article.

“Oh, this is the “The Practice of Learning”⁴ that I have been drafting recently. If it can be implemented in the future, it will definitely benefit students all over the world.”

Ji Yuan looked at Yin Zhaoxian and said.

“Would it be convenient for me to look through it?”

“Mr. Ji, by all means!”

Ji Yuan nodded, walked to the end of the desk, picked up a few pages, and flipped through them.

Yin Zhaoxian had a dignified and righteous spirit. His words radiated an aura that resembled that of a cultivator leaving traces of their spirit behind, and it was very clear in Ji Yuan’s eyes.

The content of this writing had not been bound into a book, and was a preliminary first draft of sorts, but its contents were perfectly clear to Ji Yuan. Although it contained a wide variety of topics, its fundamental goal was to improve literacy rates and revisit concepts like the “Six Arts of a Gentleman.”⁵ It was seemingly simple but full of profound meaning.

In the words of Ji Yuan’s previous life, Yin Zhaoxian wanted to slowly establish the “spirit” of a scholar, and make the so-called “scholarly character” more defined and more accessible to the general public.

“Bowing over the desk with writing brush, with sword in hand all evil to crush.⁶ Not bad!”

As soon as Ji Yuan spoke, Yin Zhaoxian’s eyes lit up and he solemnly bowed to him again.

“You are Mr. Ji, after all! Such beautiful words and phrases, expressing what I am thinking so accurately!”

Ji Yuan flipped through a few more pages before putting them back in their original position. His mood was much better than when he had arrived.

This friend of his, in the final analysis, valued ​​education more than officialdom. His original intention when he chose to step into the position of an official had remained unchanged over the years. Therefore, the way Ji Yuan addressed Yin Zhaoxian never changed.

“Teacher Yin, there is a long journey ahead of you!”

“Haha, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Ji Yuan naturally sat down to one side, and Yin Zhaoxian poured tea for him and sat in the other chair.

“Master Yin, who do you think will win the battle for Dazhen’s imperial power: Prince Jin or Prince Wu?”

Yin Zhaoxian was stunned for a moment, then he laughed.

“So Mr. Ji asked this question. Although you may have unconventional means, this time I have more information. As early as the day I arrived in the capital, I already knew who the crown prince was going to be.”

“Oh… I’m just itching to make a bet, so how about it, Teacher Yin?”

Ji Yuan said with a smile.⁷

. . .

Inside the imperial palace, in the imperial study, Emperor Yuan De was lay on his side on a soft couch.

The light of the lamp brightly illuminated the imperial study. It was rare that the old emperor would still be reading reference book at this hour. Although his face was pale good, he seemed to be in good spirits.

After a while, one of Emperor Yuan De’s longest-serving and most trusted old eunuchs entered the imperial study carrying a scroll of paper.

“Your Majesty, this is from Commander Qian.”

The old emperor glanced at the eunuch, and the latter understood and stepped forward, slowly opening the scroll and revealing the contents to the old emperor.

The latter read through it expressionlessly, before rubbing his temples.

“Haha…haha…hahaha…”

Emperor Yuande laughed nervously.

. . .

More than a quarter of an hour later, the same old eunuch who had delivered the secret letter could be seen hurriedly walking through the palace with several younger eunuchs and palace guards.

In a side room somewhere in the palace, another old eunuch was sitting on a soft couch, eating candied fruit and drinking tea while reading “Fleeting Visions of the Spring Palace.”⁸

At this time, there was a knock on the door outside.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

The old eunuch outside responded and winked quietly at someone beside him. A young eunuch opened the door for him.

“Ah, Eunuch Li! Why are you here…”

The old eunuch inside the room saw the visitor and hurriedly got off the couch to greet him. They were all old eunuchs who had served Emperor Yuan De for many years, but the other party was more favored than he was.

“Eunuch Han, His Majesty is grateful for your many years of service and has specially ordered me to bring you some rewards. You know His Majesty acts on his whims, and I dared not delay. It’s just a matter of running an errand.”

“Oh, His Majesty still remembers this old servant. Eunuch Li, please come in. Might I know what the reward is?”

The old eunuch smiled brightly, and saw the wooden tray dragged in by a young eunuch beside Eunuch Li. It was covered with a red cloth, and there was something underneath it that bulged.

Eunuch Li smiled and stepped aside.

“His Majesty is very kind. Eunuch Han, please see for yourself.”

The old eunuch surnamed Han looked at him, frowned slightly, but still took two steps forward with a smile.

The moment he lifted the red cloth, his right hand trembled. Underneath the red cloth was a length of white silk and a jug of wine…⁹

1. T/n: take notes, people, this is prime misunderstandings caused by paranoia. I almost feel bad for Prince Wu. But then again, if this is how he overreacts to setbacks as a prince, then he would struggle as an emperor
2. Lit. “kill the deer” or win the hunt
3. 重阳 (Chóngyáng): also called Double Ninth Festival, for the 9th day of 9th lunar month. Nine is a Yang number, so the 9th day of the 9th month is extra Yang and thus auspicious. Customs include climbing a mountain and drinking chrysanthemum liquor.
4. 务 (wù): business/matter/to be engaged in, 学 (xué): to learn/to study
5. Refers to the Confucian Six Arts: rites/etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy/literacy, mathematics/reasoning
6. 7/7 character couplet, JY’s being fancy and making poetry again. I had some fun making this one rhyme
7. T/n: life advice, never bet against an immortal, and especially not one with “fate” in their literal name, and ESPECIALLY not against Ji Yuan
8. 春 (chūn): spring, 宫 (gōng): palace/temple, 浮 (fú): to fleat/unstable/temporary/transient/hollow, 绘 (huì): to draw/to paint/to depict. Could also be translated as him contemplating a painting by the same name, unclear.
9. In case you forgot, the customary death penalty to high ranking members of the imperial court is to let them choose the method of their death and give them the “honor” of doing it themselves, either by drinking poisoned wine or hanging themselves with white silk. So, uh, yeah, RIP Eunuch Han, you really shouldn’t have spied for the eldest prince

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read