Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Pardon Me, I Could Not Comply

Censor Chen selected a few poems the scholars had written and attached them to the memorial. Sheng Yuan Hao listened to everyone’s petitions and sighed to himself. It looked like the Du Clan and Yan Hai could not be saved. Fine-it was their own fault for being careless.

They had done something and Xian Yuan Zi had seen it, then even painted it. Sheng Yuan Hao did not believe Xian Yuan Zi had truly been acting on someone’s orders. After all, who could order around a person who treated even Imperial Father’s personal praise like nothing, and who could refuse three thousand gold for a single painting?

So there was only one possibility: Xian Yuan Zi had truly seen it with her own eyes. If it had not been witnessed firsthand, how could the painting look so real? Besides, losing the Du Clan meant nothing. If one Du Clan fell, there would be another Zhang or Li. And if Yan Hai fell, the Prefect seat in Ji Zhou Prefecture would open at the perfect time.

The only pity was that he could no longer use this cold disaster to squeeze money. Still, it did not matter. The Du Clan surely had deep pockets.

After weighing the pros and cons, Sheng Yuan Hao stood up without hesitation and asked Emperor Chong Sheng to investigate the matter thoroughly. Emperor Chong Sheng sat high on the throne and only flicked his eyes. He neither agreed nor refused.

After court ended, Emperor Chong Sheng kept Sheng Yuan Hao behind. Inside Zi Sheng Hall, father and son faced each other.

Sheng Yuan Hao dropped to his knees at once and pleaded guilty: “Imperial Father, this was all this son’s mistake!”

Emperor Chong Sheng threw a stack of memorials in front of him and asked, “Mistake or not, things have already come to this. What do you plan to do?”

Sheng Yuan Hao said, “This son begs Imperial Father to allow this son to go to Ji Zhou Prefecture in person and investigate this matter thoroughly!”

Emperor Chong Sheng snorted and stared at him.

Sheng Yuan Hao kept his head lowered in respect. Consort Mother had said that from this angle, he looked more like Aunt. Sure enough, after only a moment, the emperor’s tone softened, and Emperor Chong Sheng sighed: “I know you wanted to share my burdens, but no matter what, remember your status. You will inherit my seat one day. Your reputation must not be stained in the slightest, understand?”

Sheng Yuan Hao bowed again: “This son will remember!”

Sheng Yuan Hao pressed on, still kneeling: “This son begs Imperial Father to let this son investigate in person.”

Emperor Chong Sheng rose to his feet: “A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Ji Zhou Prefecture is a disaster area, after all. Tomorrow, I will appoint Wang Ye as Imperial Commissioner to go to Ji Zhou Prefecture and settle this matter.”

Sheng Yuan Hao answered: “Yes!”

On the surface, Wang Ye seemed close to Second Imperial Brother, but Wang Ye was actually Sheng Yuan Hao’s man. Imperial Father had told him beforehand so Sheng Yuan Hao could prepare early. Sheng Yuan Hao understood it all, yet he remained kneeling in place.

Even after Emperor Chong Sheng left, Sheng Yuan Hao did not stand up. Since birth, Sheng Yuan Hao had known Imperial Father treated him differently from the other Imperial Brothers. If Imperial Father’s feelings for the others were merely father and son affection, then what Imperial Father felt for Sheng Yuan Hao was true, aching love.

After Sheng Yuan Hao had grown old enough to understand, Imperial Father had personally said the future realm would be left to Sheng Yuan Hao. Whether it was the Crown Prince Brother in name, or Second Imperial Brother who had been given assignments early and basked in glory, they were only targets Imperial Father set up for Sheng Yuan Hao.

The Court Official thought Sheng Yuan Hao had no interest in the throne, but in secret, Imperial Father had already entrusted Sheng Yuan Hao with many tasks. In the past, Sheng Yuan Hao had always done well. Yet this time, it was only a small matter, and it had stirred up such a storm.

Sheng Yuan Hao knelt on the ice-cold stone tiles and replayed the failure in his mind. Whether it was Meng Yang’s plan or Sheng Yuan Hao’s arrangements, nothing seemed wrong. He had only taken advantage of a natural disaster and followed the current.

The only variable had been Qing Ning. If Qing Ning had not stepped in to donate cotton, Sheng Yuan Hao would not have ordered the Du Clan to burn cotton, and none of this would have happened.

News that Sheng Yuan Hao had asked to be punished by kneeling reached Cui Hua Palace. Noble Consort Qi wore a pale palace gown and looked gentle and quiet. Though she was already past thirty, even standing beside the freshest newcomer, she did not lose in the slightest.

She had stayed favored for two reasons. First, she had a face that resembled Eldest Sister. Second, she seemed to have a temperament that did not fight or compete. Yet once someone entered the Imperial Harem, who truly did not fight or compete? The ones who truly did not fight had long since turned to dust.

When a Palace Attendant urged her to go plead with His Majesty, Noble Consort Qi only smiled faintly and shook her head. “Since Hao’er knelt, he must have realized what he did not do well. He is already this grown. As his Mother, I should not interfere with his decisions anymore.”

Noble Consort Qi sighed softly. “Besides, he truly did not handle this well. Qing Ning, a Princess, still knew to do something for the commoner of Ji Zhou Prefecture. Hao’er was a Prince, yet he did not think ahead and ease His Majesty’s worries. That was his fault.”

“She truly said that?” Emperor Chong Sheng’s vermilion brush paused.

The Palace Attendant hurried to nod.

Only then did Emperor Chong Sheng continue reviewing the memorials. As he wrote, he asked as if by accident, “Su De Yun, how long has Third Prince been kneeling?”

Su De Yun bowed. “Reporting to Your Majesty, it has already been a full six hours.”

Emperor Chong Sheng chuckled. “Enough. This matter was not his fault. Go send him the medicine Imperial Physician Song prepared for me, and also the cloak I wore during last year’s winter hunt.”

Emperor Chong Sheng added, “This year’s cold is bitter. Tell him to return early, so his Consort Mother will not worry.”

“Yes! Third Prince will surely feel Your Majesty’s deep affection!” Su De Yun smiled as he withdrew.

Emperor Chong Sheng also wore a faint smile. Yet it faded the moment he read the next memorial. A Princess should obediently marry, then assist her husband and raise her children. But this Qing Ning-had it not been enough that she begged for an imperial decree to marry down, then begged for another decree to separate?

Now she even interfered in the Mo Bei cold disaster and stirred up the scholars. Someone even petitioned for her to be granted a title and rewarded. Emperor Chong Sheng tossed the memorial aside.

The next day at court, under the officials’ renewed petitions, Emperor Chong Sheng appointed Censor-in-Chief Wang Ye to go to Ji Zhou Prefecture and investigate the cold disaster. Wang Ye bowed and accepted, then departed that very day for Ji Zhou Prefecture.

His son, Wang Huai Zhi, had been busy these days as well. Wang Huai Zhi stayed busy handing out porridge in the slums.

Back when Wang Huai Zhi made a bet with Sheng Zhi Wan, Wang Huai Zhi had already received replies from three places. Only Governor-General Xu of Mo Bei had not responded, likely because the cold disaster had kept him too busy to bother with such a small matter. That was why Wang Huai Zhi stubbornly refused to admit defeat.

But now that Sheng Shi Hall sold cotton at low prices, and Xian Yuan Zi’s painting made the whole capital city aware of it, more and more people mentioned Wang Huai Zhi’s old wager with Sheng Zhi Wan. After being asked again and again, Wang Huai Zhi finally clenched his teeth and pulled out banknotes worth two thousand taels to honor the bet.

When Sheng Zhi Wan heard, Sheng Zhi Wan sent Liu Shang to take a look. Liu Shang reported that Young Master Wang used top-grade polished rice, and the porridge was thick enough that its fragrance carried from far away.

Sheng Zhi Wan could not help laughing when Sheng Zhi Wan heard it. Young men burned hot and did not understand the world. Last time, Wang Huai Zhi had followed the crowd. This time-the slums would likely teach Wang Huai Zhi a few hard lessons.

Still, the porridge stall hung the Princess Residence mark. After thinking it over, Sheng Zhi Wan told Liu Shang to deliver a few words to Wang Huai Zhi.

Unfortunately, the moment Wang Huai Zhi heard Liu Shang’s message, Wang Huai Zhi flew into a rage. “Impossible!”

Wang Huai Zhi glared and said, “Please report to the Princess for me. The Princess’s words-I could not comply! These people may be poor, and their origins may be low, but why should they not deserve fine white rice? They might never have eaten rice like this in their entire lives!”

Wang Huai Zhi clenched his teeth. Wang Huai Zhi remembered the way an Auntie had licked the bowl clean after drinking the porridge. It only made Wang Huai Zhi feel more strongly that Sheng Zhi Wan did not take these people’s dignity to heart.