Chapter 24: The Nine-Pearl Crown Prince

When the Second Prince rose to dine this morning, he reveled in a display of extravagance that rivaled even the Crown Prince.

Nine meat dishes, nine vegetable dishes, nine soups, nine porridges, and nine fruits.

It did not matter if he could not finish them. He would eat only the choice morsels from the top, leaving the rest untouched. He would drink one bowl and spill another. What he sought was not the sustenance, but the aura of one destined to occupy the Eastern Palace and claim the realm.

It took him over an hour to finish breakfast before he finally gave the order to break camp. Then, ensconced in his massive carriage, he began to curse Huang Zhongyong incessantly.

What was this nonsense about "speed being the soul of war"? What was this "immediate return to the capital"? That simpleton, the Ninth Prince, had already accepted an impossible task—he was as good as dead. It was he who should be panicking, not me!

To raise one million taels of silver in ten days? Even a god could not accomplish such a feat. A fool like him—on what grounds could he possibly succeed?

And even if he did, I would not lose out. It was I who delivered the Imperial Decree, and I was the first to pledge fifty thousand taels, calling upon everyone to follow suit and save the nation from its crisis. The Emperor might very well grant me another "pearl." If he did, this Eight-Pearl Prince would truly become the "Nine-Pearl Crown Prince." Once I held the throne, I could do as I pleased.

As for the Ninth Prince, that gluttonous idiot—not only would he have to obey my every command without a peep, he would have to thank me with tears in his eyes for helping him make a fortune. Besides, even if he did succeed, the promised reward of one hundred thousand taels was merely talk. Finding an excuse to snatch it back would be effortless.

Oh, Ninth Brother, if you behave and submit to me as your master, I might deign to grant you ten thousand. But if you show the slightest sign of defiance or kick up a fuss before me, I have plenty of ways to break you!

When the time comes, I will first seize those two beautiful maids of yours. Then, I will have the Emperor cast Consort Yun into the cold palace. As for your tutor, Su Zhongjing—if he submits, he lives; if not, he dies. In short, I will make life absolutely miserable for you and everyone around you.

Then, I will ensure that while your capital punishment might be spared, your living hell will be inescapable! Every day, you will wear coarse rags, feed horses in the stables, and stoke fires in the kitchens, watching with your own eyes as your beautiful maids serve me and cater to my every whim. Only when I grow bored of them and cast them aside like worn-out shoes will I marry them off to you. And once you have become dependent on them, I will make them wish they were dead.

"Hahaha!" The Second Prince let out a loud laugh. For some reason, every time he contemplated these grotesque and perverse fantasies, he felt an inexplicable surge of excitement, like a wolf catching the scent of blood in the dark or a vulture spotting carrion before a cliff.

"Your Highness, what are you thinking about?"

The fantasy was interrupted by the maid who had been by his side all night. A look of ruthless disdain flickered in the eyes of the Eight-Pearl Prince.

"Go! Ask what the meaning of those rapid drumbeats in the Great Xu capital is!"

The maid twisted her body and pouted coquettishly.

"Your Highness, just last night you were calling me your little sweetie and shouting that you wanted meat buns, and now you’ve suddenly grown cold and distant!"

The Second Prince remained unmoved, his expression as cold as frost. The maid sighed and stepped out of the carriage to inquire.

Before long, an officer came to report.

"Your Highness, the carrier pigeon from our eyes in the city has arrived! The Ninth Prince, Consort Yun, and the tutor have announced to the entire city from the East Drum Tower! At noon, a ceremony will be held to thank the Heavens for sparing Great Xu from the flood!"

The Second Prince’s eyes widened. "What? A ceremony at noon? Spared from the flood?"

"Yes!"

The Second Prince’s eyes rolled violently in their sockets before they finally came to a stop. He had deliberately withheld the news of the Huang and Huai rivers shifting their course when he delivered the secret decree, yet they had found out anyway! The trap he had so painstakingly dug had been filled in with such speed.

Who could it be? It had to be him! The tutor, Su Zhongjing!

This man was a master of astronomy and geography, a man with vast strategies hidden in his chest—a "Zhuge of this age," a "Zhang Liang of our time." He never understood what his father was thinking, appointing such a man to tutor the First and Ninth Princes while leaving him, the second-born, out in the cold.

Leave him out? Fine. After he had become a Prince, he had offered vast sums of money to invite him over several times, but the man never came. He had never truly perceived how formidable the man was; even when the First Prince was stripped of his fief and placed under house arrest, Su had shown no reaction. It was as if he did not exist. Even now, with the Ninth Prince accepting this impossible mission, Su had offered no opposition or counsel. He remained in a state of "disappearance."

Yet, to say he was not formidable? The secret decree was delivered only last night, and this morning, they were already holding a ceremony to announce the end of the flood and settle the hearts of the people. Could anything be more powerful than that?

Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion—it was impossible to fathom! It seemed that even though it would be difficult to launch a campaign against this tutor, he had no choice but to try.

"One cannot discuss ice with a summer insect!" the Second Prince muttered coldly. He then asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else!"

"Keep scouting! Report back!"

"As you command!"

...

Chai Xiao looked up at the sky. The sun, nearing its zenith, was growing warm. Scattered birds flew overhead, chirping joyfully. As if struck by a thought, Chai Xiao asked Yao Jin, who stood behind him.

"How many men are in your guard?"

"Reporting to the Sovereign, the Left and Right Xiao Guards consist of four hundred men in total."

"And the Imperial Guards who protect the royal capital?"

"The Six Wu Guards of the royal capital have two hundred men each, totaling one thousand two hundred."

"For today's ceremony, as we celebrate with the people, how much mobile force have you prepared?"

"Sovereign, this..."

"Take the tiger tally and order the Imperial Guards to ensure every man is at his post. Strengthen patrols in the inner and outer cities. Select one hundred elite men from the Imperial Guards, and one hundred from your own guard. With one man and one horse each, act as a mobile unit. If you encounter fires or other emergencies, act immediately. However, keep the presence firm on the outside but relaxed on the inside; do not let the citizens feel uneasy!"

"As you command!"

Yao Jin accepted the tiger tally from the Sovereign with both hands. After hearing a few more whispered instructions, he bowed low.

As the head of the guard, he had been by the Sovereign’s side for over an hour since dawn. This hour, spent with the newly enthroned Ninth Prince of Great Xu, had brought him more shock than the previous eighteen years of his life combined.

The early morning drills, the defeat of Zhang Bao, the order for morning exercises... He had heard that during breakfast, the Sovereign had even issued a rationing order: breakfast was limited to two taels of silver, and lunch and dinner were limited to three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one soup, each costing four taels. He had set up Heaven, Earth, and Man stages at the Drum Tower to offer sacrifices, entertain the people, and generate revenue. Now, he was personally mobilizing the inner guards and the Imperial Guards to establish mobile cavalry units to ensure the ceremony proceeded smoothly.

Was this truly the same Ninth Prince who had previously known only gluttony and pleasure? The old one probably wouldn't have even recognized a tiger tally. But this one? He carried it with him, and it was clear he not only knew what it was but knew exactly how to use it.

It seems I can finally cast off this "Yao the Eighteenth" nickname.

Yao Jin ordered his deputy to protect the Sovereign on his return and spurred his horse toward the Imperial Guard Command.

*Clack! Clack! Clack!*

The date-red horse galloped swiftly, its hooves flying. Before long, they reached the gates. Yao Jin leaped from his horse, holding the tally in both hands, and shouted, "The Sovereign’s tiger tally is here! Bring out the General of the Wu Guards at once; we have urgent matters to discuss!"

The guards dared not delay and rushed to relay the message. Soon, General Xiang Shouyue of the Wu Guards came out to greet him personally. Upon seeing him, he recognized him.

"So it is General Yao! My apologies for the lack of respect! Please, come inside!"

Yao Jin did not stand on ceremony and walked straight in. "Old Xiang, you are a proper General of the Wu Guards, a sixth-rank official. In Great Xu, all military officers have to go around you. Anything higher than that, a fifth-rank, requires an appointment from the capital. Why are you, a high-ranking General, playing jokes on someone like me who doesn't even have a rank? You shouldn't throw the word 'General' around; it must be reserved for those with a rank. Are you making a fool of me?"

Xiang Shouyue was not angry. "What’s this, Old Yao? You don't want to treat us to a drink, is that it? You’ve just been promoted to the ninth rank—don't pretend you aren't a General! You’ve hidden your cards too well! Are you trying to use the Sovereign’s favor to make us treat you instead?"

Yao Jin was confused, unable to grasp the meaning. "What ninth rank? Old Xiang, what are you talking about?"