Chapter 78

During this period of marching, they walked for eight hours and rested for four hours each day.

During the rest time, Chu Shaoling still had to discuss military strategies and grain and fodder allocation with the generals. Although it was Chu Shaoling's first time going to war, he made proper arrangements for everything. General Bai Yunjiang, who was originally a bit resentful of Chu Shaoling's youth, gradually came to admire him.

Others thought that Chu Shaoling was naturally talented, but that was not the case. Before each meeting, Wei Ji would write down in detail the matters that needed to be coordinated, and then clearly write out the handling methods he thought of, divided into upper, middle and lower strategies. He would give them to Chu Shaoling in advance to give him a foundation. During the meetings, Wei Ji generally wouldn't speak. It wasn't that he didn't understand anything, but rather that what Chu Shaoling said were all things he had already discussed with him beforehand.

"Tomorrow we will reach Xian'outuo. This is the only place with a large granary before reaching the northwest border. The imperial order should have already been sent down. After arriving, arrange for people to directly collect the grain and fodder." Chu Shaoling drew a circle on the map. "Afterwards, divide the horse carts carrying the grain and fodder into two groups. The first group will travel together with the army. The second group will depart five days later. By the time the army has used up the grain and fodder from the first group, the second group will have arrived. At that time, the first group will turn back to Xian'outuo to collect more grain and fodder. It will cycle back and forth like this."

Hearing this, everyone nodded. This arrangement was very good. It wouldn't affect the speed of the main force due to excessive baggage, and if they encountered an enemy raid, the grain and fodder wouldn't all be lost at once. Lian Yu sighed, "The crown prince is wise. This is both light and provides a way out. I am ashamed I cannot compare."

Chu Shaoling picked up his teacup and took a sip. He raised his head to look at Wei Ji. Their eyes met, and Wei Ji shook his head at Chu Shaoling without changing his expression. Chu Shaoling put down the teacup and continued, "The matter of grain and fodder will be settled like this for now. Have someone keep an eye on the remaining amount in the Xian'outuo granary at all times. As soon as it falls below 30,000 dan, report it immediately. There absolutely cannot be any mistakes with this."

Everyone discussed the route for another half day and settled everything. The accompanying scribe wrote down all of today's decisions and made a copy to keep on record. After everyone reviewed it again and confirmed there were no errors, they dispersed. Chu Shaoling pulled Wei Ji over and said softly, "I'm sorry you have to give me all the credit."

"Your Highness must not speak nonsense." Wei Ji smiled. Right now, Chu Shaoling had just become the crown prince and entered the army for the first time. If he couldn't accomplish a few things to suppress the generals and soldiers, there would be more trouble in the future. Wei Ji was willing to be Chu Shaoling's stepping stone. Wei Ji held Chu Shaoling's hand and said in a low voice, "This subject merely reminded Your Highness in advance. The one making the decisions is still Your Highness."

Chu Shaoling kissed Wei Ji's forehead dotingly and said softly, "No need in the future. You should also speak during meetings, understand?"

Wei Ji still wanted to argue, but Chu Shaoling lowered his head and kissed Wei Ji's lips. After a bout of entanglement between their lips and tongues, Wei Ji could no longer say any words of argument. He sat beside Chu Shaoling in a daze and picked up the documents to read. After a while, he said, "Your Highness sent someone to the southwest Pingyu again? Has there been any movement there?"

Southwest Pingyu, Chu Shaoyang's fief.

Chu Shaoling shook his head slightly, "There's no movement now. But with me away from the imperial city, I always have to be on guard."

"The Fourth Prince is far from the imperial city. I'm afraid he can't make any big waves. Your Highness needn't worry." Wei Ji never felt that Chu Shaoyang was very formidable. He just knew how to show off his power and prestige to Wei Ji, nothing to be afraid of. "The Fourth Prince has made no moves since going to his fief. I think he has already given up."

Chu Shaoling sneered, "You underestimate him. He hasn't given up. He's waiting to see me and Chu Shaoruan fight until we're both badly wounded, then he'll come back and reap the spoils. Although the Emperor drove him to his fief, he never said anything overtly. To the outside world, it's just said he's recuperating from illness. Chu Shaoyang is also the Empress' son. This is ultimately a hidden danger. After the Liaoliang matter is done, I'll have to deal with him."

Wei Ji thought for a moment and didn't say anything more. Chu Shaoling scratched Wei Ji's face and chuckled, "What? You think I'm too ruthless?"

Wei Ji shook his head, "This subject just thinks Your Highness works hard. You're already the crown prince now, but you still always have to worry about these things."

"There's still one step from the throne. I have to be careful in everything." Chu Shaoling held Wei Ji's hand and said softly, "After ascending the throne, I definitely won't let you suffer grievances anymore."

Wei Ji was stunned for a moment and said, "When has this subject ever suffered grievances? This subject was originally just a guard in Your Highness' palace. It is thanks to Your Highness' favor that my brother and I have our positions today. This subject is already endlessly grateful."

Wei Ji was speaking the truth. He never felt he had suffered any grievances. On the contrary, ever since being by Chu Shaoling's side, Wei Ji felt like he was in a dream every day. Chu Shaoling treated him the best out of anyone. There wasn't a single day Wei Ji wasn't thankful. Chu Shaoling rubbed Wei Ji's forehead. The poor foolish thing was already content now.

As the two were being intimate, Chu Shaoling's personal guard requested an audience outside. Wei Ji hurriedly got up and tidied his robes before standing properly. Chu Shaoling laughed and had the person come in. After receiving the secret report, he dismissed the person. Chu Shaoling pulled Wei Ji to sit back down, torn between laughter and tears, "These personal guards have followed me for many years. Which one of them doesn't know about us? Do you find it fun tormenting yourself like this every day?"

"Etiquette cannot be abandoned." Wei Ji always said this same line. Seeing the secret report in Chu Shaoling's hand, he urged in a low voice, "Your Highness, quickly read it."

Chu Shaoling rubbed open the wax seal and took out the letter inside. The letter was sent by Chu Shaotao, one every two days. Usually they were just about some trivial matters in the imperial city. This time there was finally some movement.

Reading the letter, Chu Shaoling sneered, "Everyone thought the Emperor would make the first move. Who would have thought that this time, his good son would beat him to it. This time, let the Emperor see just who is the ungrateful wolf he raised."

After Chu Shaoling left the city, Chu Shaoruan kept submitting memorials to the Emperor wanting to return to the palace. The Emperor never agreed, just sending people to deliver many precious playthings to the Tanghe Palace to appease him.

It wasn't that the Emperor didn't want to welcome Chu Shaoruan back. First, he was wary of the Empress Dowager. Second, the Emperor had been plagued by illness in recent years and knew his days were numbered. He was afraid that after he passed away, Chu Shaoling wouldn't tolerate Chu Shaoruan. Rather than that, it was better to have Chu Shaoruan behave himself now. As long as Chu Shaoruan didn't make any mistakes, even Chu Shaoling wouldn't be able to casually take his own brother's life.

The Emperor had already resigned himself to his fate when he appointed Chu Shaoling as the Crown Prince. He only hoped that he could spend his remaining years in peace and that Consort Li and Chu Shaoruan, mother and son, could live a peaceful life afterwards.

However, Chu Shaoruan was not as clear-sighted as his father. After several unanswered requests, Chu Shaoruan could no longer maintain his facade of filial piety. In the temporary palace, he smashed the treasures and playthings bestowed by the Emperor to pieces, claiming that the Emperor had forgotten about him after appointing the Crown Prince, leaving him to suffer in this sunless place.

Chu Shaoruan had previously been able to restrain his temper, but after Chu Shaoling went on a military expedition and the Emperor still did not rescue him, he could no longer suppress his nature. Chu Shaoruan completely lost hope in the Emperor, and the anger from being under house arrest for many days erupted all at once. He caused a commotion in the temporary palace for three full days.

Chu Shaotao, who was "recuperating" in the palace, secretly bribed people in the Tanghe Palace according to Chu Shaoling's intentions and sent a message to Chu Shaoruan, detailing Consort Li's current situation in the Buddha Hall of Ci'an Palace. Upon hearing this, Chu Shaoruan became even more furious and cursed the Emperor for being incompetent and unable to protect his mother concubine.

Chu Shaoruan no longer held any expectations for the Emperor. After his outburst, he sat in silence for a few days and came up with a good plan to save himself and Consort Li from their cage.

It was autumn, and the grapes in the vineyard of the Tanghe Palace were ripe. Chu Shaoruan personally picked a few of the largest bunches, washed them clean, and arranged them on a glazed plate with a few green grape leaves, making them look very attractive. After preparing the grapes, Chu Shaoruan ordered someone to send them to the palace, saying that he was worried about the Emperor's serious illness and felt ashamed that he, as a son, could not attend to him. As the fruits in the temporary palace had ripened, he presented a plate to express his intentions.

After the gift was sent, the Emperor was indeed very gratified and repeatedly told those around him how filial and understanding Chu Shaoruan was. When Chu Shaoruan heard these words in the temporary palace, he smiled enigmatically without saying anything. However, the next day, he personally picked another plate of grapes and sent it up.

This continued for several days until the fifth day when the Emperor ate the grapes and felt unwell. He convulsed and vomited for nearly two hours before the imperial physicians saved him. Although his life was spared, his health was greatly damaged, and combined with his previous illness, he could not even get out of bed.

When the Empress Dowager learned of this, she summoned officials from the Court of the Imperial Clan to the palace overnight and ordered a thorough investigation. The imperial physicians examined the food, incense, and even clothing in Chengqian Palace and determined the source of the poison: the grapes sent by the Second Prince.

Chu Shaoruan was somewhat clever. He had not taken action during the previous few times, and the poison he used this last time was not a common one like arsenic that could be detected with a silver needle. He had only applied a layer of lethal poison on the bunch of grapes at the very bottom. The eunuch who tasted the grapes did not get to that bunch, and they all ended up in the Emperor's stomach.

Chu Shaoruan had made a good plan. Chu Shaoling had gone to war, and if something happened to the Emperor, Chu Shaoling would not be able to return in time. At that point, he would enter the palace first, claiming to be in charge of government affairs. With power in his hands, what could he not do?

Chu Shaoruan had even thought about what to do if the Empress Dowager disagreed, what to do if Chu Shaoling rebelled with his army, and what to do if the senior officials in the court intervened. However, Chu Shaoruan had not anticipated that the Emperor would have such a strong life force and escape death from such a potent poison.

After the incident, the Empress Dowager was furious and immediately ordered Chu Shaoruan to be brought back to the palace. That day, he was sent to the prison of the Court of the Imperial Clan along with the members of the Zhen household. Consort Li, upon learning of this, kowtowed until her head bled, wanting to see the Empress Dowager. However, the Empress Dowager had no time to deal with her and only sent Granny Sun to intimidate her.

Consort Li's complexion was now pale. During her time in the Small Buddha Hall, she had become thin, and her temples had started to turn white, making her look old and haggard. Granny Sun's face was full of disgust as she scolded loudly, "The Empress Dowager has not dealt with you yet because she hasn't had the time! You're still meddling and seeking death, aren't you? The Second Prince has committed a heinous crime. When the Court of the Imperial Clan has settled the case, you will certainly not be spared! You can no longer stay in this Buddha hall. It cannot be defiled by your presence in the Empress Dowager's pure place of worship. In a short while, someone will send you to the Cold Palace to await punishment. Hmph, Consort Zhen, the Cold Palace is not as good-natured as us. There are many crazy women there. May you be blessed, Concubine."

Consort Li was stunned by Granny Sun's words. After a while, she screamed, "How dare you! I don't want to go to the Cold Palace. I have always been favored by the Emperor. I have only sent others to the Cold Palace, how can I go to the Cold Palace myself?! Damn servant, you dare to mmph, mmm..."

A palace maid standing to the side quickly covered Consort Li's mouth and stuffed a rag inside. Granny Sun laughed coldly and nodded, "Yes, Concubine has great abilities and has sent many people to the Cold Palace. Now the tables have turned. Concubine, endure it. Even if it's the Cold Palace, it's not a place where Concubine can stay for long."

Consort Li felt her whole body turn cold. She stared at Granny Sun in horror. Granny Sun, remembering the humiliation suffered by Empress Ling back then, felt extremely pleased and said with a smile, "When the Court of the Imperial Clan has investigated the case thoroughly, Concubine will have a good place to go."

Consort Li whimpered and cried incessantly. Granny Sun couldn't be bothered to pay more attention to her. After instructing the guarding palace maids a few words, she left.

When Zhen Si in Yongfu Palace learned of the news, she almost fainted. She immediately took off her fine clothes, removed her hairpins, and knelt in front of Ci'an Palace to plead guilty. The Empress Dowager originally wanted to punish Zhen Si as well, but seeing Zhen Si's haggard face after giving birth and thinking of the Sixth Prince in swaddling clothes, she ultimately softened her heart.

She only reprimanded her a few times and placed Zhen Si under house arrest in Yongfu Palace, but did not order anyone to take away the Sixth Prince. Zhen Si was slightly relieved and returned to Yongfu Palace obediently.

After the Empress Dowager had dealt with these matters, she did not make any decisions and only ordered people to keep a close watch on everyone, waiting for the Emperor to handle it. She also strictly ordered the sealing of the news, but naturally, this could not escape Chu Shaotao's eyes. He immediately sent the information to the military camp in full detail.

Wei Ji carefully read through it and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I think there are some loopholes in the poisoning incident. The Second Prince was indeed very careful, but with so many palace servants around the Emperor, it shouldn't have..."

"Who knows." Chu Shaoling changed the subject. "Perhaps it's retribution. Hehe, he almost died at the hands of his most beloved son. I wonder what the Emperor is thinking now."

Chu Shaoling felt extremely pleased in his heart. No matter what he did, he could not harm the Emperor's foundation. Chu Shaoruan was different. The son he had painstakingly nurtured and carefully protected had done such a thing to him. The Emperor did not die from the poison, but when he woke up, he would probably suffer even more.