Chapter 39: Terminal Stage of Love-struck? Beyond Saving, Awaiting the End

Qin Ye was perplexed. During the morning audience, he asked Ji Cheng, “Why is it that none of the ministers raise their voices in opposition, or at least try to put up a fight with me?”

Ji Cheng replied, “Your Majesty is wise and mighty, and your courtiers are all men of talent. The ruler and his ministers are in harmony; thus, when Your Majesty speaks, all the officials are convinced and submit.”

That was flattery if he’d ever heard it.

Qin Ye said nothing, simply fixing his gaze on Ji Cheng.

Ji Cheng, who had begun to grow a beard, was no longer the handsome youth of years past, but the sincerity in his eyes had not changed at all.

Qin Ye often brought Qin Ming with him, and at almost every morning audience, Qin Ming was present, absent only on rare occasions.

He had even arranged a position for Qin Ming ahead of time, starting him off as a magistrate in the outskirts of the capital.

Upon taking office, Qin Ming made a bold move: he accused the Grand Princess of wrongdoing.

More importantly, he won the case.

Later, Qin Ming was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel. The Minister there intended to show him respect, to keep him comfortable but not let him actually do any real work. They gave him old account books from previous years, hoping the tedium would compel Qin Ming to request a transfer himself.

Qin Ming, however, dutifully studied the books. The entire ministry breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he’d finally been pacified.

After all, Qin Ye was backing him. Who would dare give him trouble? No one even dared to give him a hard time in secret.

But to everyone’s surprise, after days of poring over the records, Qin Ming unearthed another bombshell.

He discovered discrepancies in the Ministry’s accounts, and as he dug deeper, he implicated even former ministers who had already left office.

It was an old case, dating back to before the late emperor had even ascended the throne, with money missing from the state treasury over the years.

The funds had not gone to disaster relief nor to pay the soldiers defending the borders. It was as if the money had sprouted wings and vanished.

The current Minister of Personnel had no idea such a landmine was waiting for him. When it exploded, he was completely stunned.

After a string of such major incidents and great achievements, Qin Ming finally earned the proper attention of the court.

Gradually, as they came to recognize Qin Ming’s abilities, the ministers had little to say when Qin Ye named him Crown Prince.

The only issue they could raise was that Qin Ming was not Qin Ye’s biological son, but his nephew.

If they could have persuaded Qin Ye otherwise, Qin Ming, as the heir of the Prince of Yue, wouldn’t be trailing behind the emperor every day, acting every bit the future heir apparent.

Now that Qin Ming had been designated Crown Prince, Qin Yun was granted a princely title as well—Prince of Chu, with a prosperous fiefdom.

Still, for the time being, Qin Yun was not required to take up his fief, and unless summoned, he was forbidden to leave it.

After all, the current emperor was still his father, not his cousin.

With things at this stage, Qin Ye felt he had accomplished his mission rather well.

Unless Qin Ming became foolish in his later years, he would not be a failed ruler.

Even if, in the future, there were two or three incompetent emperors in a row, given the foundation Qin Ye had laid for Anguo, the nation would not easily fall.

By his estimation, this stability could last another two or three generations.

Not every emperor could hope for a long life.

If not for Qin Ye’s soul arriving, Emperor Yong’an would have died long ago.

As for the original body’s two children…

It had been some time since he checked in on them.

After establishing Qin Ming as Crown Prince and Qin Yun as Prince of Chu, Qin Ye had been busy bringing Qin Ming up to speed on state affairs, gradually delegating power and letting Qin Ming handle memorials.

He had been a bit preoccupied. In the spare moments left, he read, practiced calligraphy, and indulged in his own hobbies. In the blink of an eye, some time had passed since he last paid attention to Huayang and the Prince of Chu.

Now, Qin Ming’s position was secure.

Qin Ye had not arranged any particular trial or ordeal for him. Being a strong-willed emperor himself, the ministers naturally would not cross him.

With Qin Ming settled, Qin Ye, after finishing his reading, would often stroll about, visiting the menagerie to stroke foxes, rabbits, or big cats.

After all this, he was surprised to find it still early in the day.

Reviewing his progress, he thought of his two “bargain sons.”

“What is Huayang up to these days?”

At his words, Yang Lao’s expression changed instantly.

No matter how hard one tried, Qin Ye was different from the original emperor, and someone as close as Yang Lao could not be deceived.

However, Qin Ye had from the outset acted on the principle that he could not be the only one suffering; he orchestrated a mystical encounter with his ancestors to explain his transformation.

With that as a foundation, the changes in Qin Ye weren’t too conspicuous, especially since in every other respect, he was still unmistakably Emperor Yong’an—except for some shifts in temperament and preferences.

Yang Lao, after recalibrating to the imperial will, quickly became Qin Ye’s confidant, maintaining his own standing.

Now, hearing Qin Ye ask about Princess Huayang, he broke into a cold sweat.

Although the emperor rarely asked, Yang Lao made a point of keeping himself informed. He always compiled reports and prepared his answers in advance.

But Huayang’s recent situation… was, to put it mildly, hard to explain.

Receiving no immediate answer, Qin Ye set aside his work and looked up at Yang Lao.

Under that look, Yang Lao dropped to his knees.

“Your Majesty, this old servant... I do not know…”

“Is it that you don’t know, or that you dare not say?”

Well, of course, it was the latter.

Yang Lao stole a glance at Qin Ye.

Qin Ye wasn’t looking at him, merely setting down the snow-white fox in his arms and saying calmly, “You have my pardon. Speak.”

Thanking the emperor, Yang Lao collected his thoughts and said, “Her Highness the Princess left the palace not long ago. At the Festival of the Flower Goddess, she met a young gentleman and fell in love at first sight.”

Well, that sounded fine. Why hadn’t she come to request a marriage decree?

A love-struck mind was no crime. As long as she wasn’t in a position of power and couldn’t harm others, let her fall in love as she wished. It was nothing.

Qin Ye was quite open-minded about it, having long given up hope of curing anyone besotted by love.

Love-struck? And terminal? Beyond help—let it be.

If he truly wanted to intervene, he could administer a harsh remedy.

But he reasoned, it was no crime for a child to want to fall in love—trouble only arose when those in power made the world a part of their romantic games.

As long as she didn’t get the chance to wield such power, let her do as she pleased. Qin Ye didn’t care in the least.

Seeing no change in Qin Ye’s expression, Yang Lao continued cautiously, “However, that young gentleman has a helpless, delicate cousin living with him, as well as a beautiful maid who once saved his life. He is also betrothed to the daughter of the Grand Princess, Lady Min’an.”

Qin Ye gave a small exclamation.

All the elements were there.

After expressing his surprise, he asked, “And so?”

“That young gentleman, Xue by name, is so handsome that he captivates every woman who lays eyes on him, and he is always surrounded by beauties. If Her Highness truly wished, she could return to the palace, request an imperial decree, and have him named as her consort. But… Her Highness—”

“Speak. If you hesitate again, I’ll have you flayed.”

Yang Lao, startled, hastened to continue.

“Her Highness says she wants true love for true love, and refuses to use royal authority to coerce him. So she hides her identity and tries in every way to please Young Master Xue, but is repeatedly looked down upon by his mother. His cousin schemes against her, making Xue believe the Princess has been bullying the cousin behind his back. In a fit of anger, Xue even slapped Her Highness…”

Huayang had grown up without ever being struck by Emperor Yong’an or the Empress. Even when she resisted marriage and argued with her mother, the Empress at most scolded her and had the palace matrons teach her manners and temper her nature.

Her family had never struck her, and no one else had dared or had the chance.

Yet now, she had been slapped by this Xue fellow.

If Qin Ye recalled correctly, among the officials who could enter the palace, none bore the surname Xue.

So, was this young man a descendant of a noble house?

Huayang had been struck, and there was not a sound from the Empress’s quarters. No doubt Huayang had forbidden her attendants to speak.

But that could not deceive an emperor with his own intelligence network.

As Qin Ye’s trusted man, Yang Lao was effectively his chief of intelligence, and he clearly had ways of knowing whatever he wished.

Qin Ye, however, was very calm.

Without Yun Loutai, now there was a Xue.

If Huayang had ambitions to compete with Qin Yun and Qin Ming, to stand on equal footing with them as a ruler, Qin Ye wouldn’t refuse her.

But she had no such intentions. She simply didn’t want to marry hastily, but wished to find someone she truly loved.

So she had asked for an exit token and began running out of the palace at every opportunity, growing so enamored of the outside world she hardly wanted to return.

Now, it seemed, she had found someone.

There was clearly more to the story. Qin Ye pressed down his thoughts and said, “Go on.”

“After being slapped by Young Master Xue, Her Highness didn’t blame him, only resented that he had been deceived by such a poisonous cousin. Thus, the Princess and the cousin became rivals, openly and secretly vying for his attention. But unexpectedly, while they contended, the beautiful maid stole a march—she and Young Master Xue became involved, and she is now secretly with child.

For her sake, Young Master Xue is quarreling with his mother, insisting on taking the maid as a concubine.”

Qin Ye was thoroughly amused.

Princess Huayang, the only daughter of Emperor Yong’an, raised in luxury and high esteem, now went about concealing her identity to compete for a man’s affection.

Qin Ye sighed. “And?”

“Uh, Her Highness, in a fit of anger, had the maid abducted. She negotiated with Young Master Xue, proposing that if she married into his family, the maid’s child would be raised as her own, and in return, she would spare the maid’s life.”

Qin Ye: “What?”

Huayang wanted a child?

If she so much as spoke a word, there were plenty of families who would scramble to offer their precious children to her.

And those without parents—well, there’d be no end to the candidates then.