Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 420 - 417. Prince Ding Takes Action

417. Prince Ding Takes Action

"Greetings to Mr. Qingyun." Despite their pompous demeanor outside, these old scholars unwittingly lowered their heads in the presence of Mr. Qingyun. Even though Mr. Qingyun appeared to be a friendly, venerable old man with white hair and beard, these men, having lived for many years, understood him better than most. Among them were even some of Mr. Qingyun’s disciples.

Mr. Qingyun said with a smile, "No need for such courtesies. You are all busy people; why have you come to this secluded place in the mountains?"

The guests denied his characterization with humility, simultaneously holding admiration, envy, and a bit of jealousy for Mr. Qingyun. If someone had the best fortune in the world, it could be argued that Mr. Qingyun was one of them. Not only had all his children and grandchildren succeeded in their own rights, but Young Master Qingchen had also become famous throughout the world as a young man. Furthermore, the Fourth Young Master Xu had become a high-ranking official before turning twenty-five. The Third Young Master Xu, who had turned from scholarship to martial arts, also distinguished himself in the Mo Family Army. Most importantly, Mr. Qingyun’s granddaughter was Princess Consort Ding. Given these factors, the Xu Family could easily prosper for another hundred years. Mr. Qingyun, in contrast, led a carefree and uncomplicated life, unlike them who had to meticulously plan for their families’ prosperity.

After Mr. Qingyun’s pageboy served tea, everyone took their seats on stone stools in the bamboo grove, lost in silence.

After they had sipped their tea for a while, noticing that Mr. Qingyun was sitting leisurely without making any further comments, someone became restless.

"Mr. Qingyun, we are here to disturb you today because we have a matter requiring your attention." A man stood up and said in a respectful and smiling tone. Mr. Qingyun looked at the man in question, his elderly eyes calm and clear. He chuckled, "You are... Zhao Zhefang, aren’t you? You studied at Lishan Academy, as I recall. We haven’t seen each other for over twenty years, have we?"

The speaker was a man already in his 60s. Hearing Mr. Qingyun’s remark, he quickly replied, "Indeed, Mr. Qingyun. I did study under you then." Back in those days, Mr. Qingyun was famous as a young man. Although he was less than twenty years older than Zhao Zhefang, by the time Zhao started attending Lishan Academy, Mr. Qingyun had already established himself as a sagacious scholar. Although not an official disciple, he was still required by tradition to act like one, which made Zhao, who had always considered himself superior, feel a little awkward. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Mr. Qingyun didn’t care and smiled, "What do you want to say?"

Zhao Zhefang promptly responded, "Now that His Highness Prince Ding has pacified all sides, it’s time for him to ascend to the throne to reassure the people. He should establish the court, appoint an Empress, and allow everything to return to its proper place, with officials performing their duties, to ease the people’s minds. However, yesterday, when we proposed this to His Highness Prince Ding, he got angry and firmly refused to appoint an Empress. We thought about asking you, Mr. Qingyun, to advise Princess Consort Ding. She has contributed significantly to Prince Ding’s Mansion. If Prince Ding ascends to the throne, the Princess Consort should naturally become the Empress. However, if the Princess Consort insists on monopolizing Prince Ding, it may tarnish her reputation and that of the Xu Family."

Mr. Qingyun mulled over the proposal for a moment, then lifted his head, smiled, and asked, "So is this what all of you think?"

The crowd exchanged glances and responded together, "Please, Mr. Qingyun, consider the greater good. The Xu Family serves as a model for all scholars and will certainly handle this matter well."

Mr. Qingyun looked at these men with a hint of regret and shook his head. They were not young anymore, and some were not more than a few years younger than he was. Were they so engrossed in power and glory that they had become blinded by them?

"You have all been in Licheng for a while now. How do you think the Northwest is being governed?" asked Mr. Qingyun leisurely.

"Prince Ding is indeed a wise ruler. The people in the Northwest live in peace and are very productive. It’s truly a scene of a flourishing age."

Mr. Qingyun shook his head, smiled, and replied, "Describing it as a flourishing age may be an exaggeration, but the peace and productivity are certainly real. For the past ten years, Prince Ding has not assumed the title of Emperor, yet the people under his governance in the Northwest live in harmony. This proves that being an Emperor does not directly correlate with the stability of the state."

"But... if Prince Ding doesn’t claim the imperial title, his rule lacks ultimate legitimacy!" someone urgently said.

Mr. Qingyun chuckled, "A kingdom cannot be without a ruler; this much is true. Prince Ding has a strong desire to rule; he will not let the world fall into chaos. If he has not claimed the throne yet, it means the time is not right. Why are you all so anxious?"

There was a hint of disappointment in the eyes of those who looked at Mr. Qingyun. They had all assumed that the Xu Family would be willing to see Prince Ding assume the throne sooner. After all, the Xu Family would doubtless reap the greatest benefits once Prince Ding ascended. But to their surprise, Mr. Qingyun seemed to be unaffected by this matter at all.

One among them stood up and said, "Mr. Qingyun is correct; when Prince Ding will ascend to the throne is not something we should needlessly be concerned about. But it is true that Prince Ding has been married to Princess Consort Ding for over a decade, and she remains the only one in his harem. This is surely against proper etiquette. Women should respect the virtues of a wife; for the Princess Consort to continue like this is rather domineering. How could she possibly earn the title of ’Mother of all under Heaven’ in the future?"

At these words, Mr. Qingyun’s gaze hardened. Just as he was about to speak, a clear and bright voice from beyond the bamboo forest interjected, "Esteemed sir, you are mistaken. The marital customs of Great Chu decree that a wife is one who can match her husband. With Prince Ding being unsurpassed in the world, a great talent in both literary and martial pursuits, which woman in this world dares to say she can match him? Who dares to claim they can uphold the title of Princess Consort Ding?" A young man dressed in blue walked into the bamboo grove, swept his eyes over those present, and continued, "Furthermore, it has been stated in ancient rites that the main wife is the sole Mistress of House. She should be married for twenty years without children before a concubine can be taken. Even so, any children born to the concubine still belong to the main wife. Princess Consort Ding gave birth to the heir just three years after her wedding and added a pair of twins last year. Is there anything wrong with Prince Ding not taking another concubine? If you gentlemen always bring up the rites, how about I propose to His Highness Prince Ding that we revert to ancient rites? But if we do...what will happen to the concubines and children born from them in your households..." Xu Qingyan gave a smile while looking at those present, choosing to remain silent at the end of his words.

"You... you are twisting the argument!" The crowd’s faces turned red with fury; some of the older ones were even so angry that they trembled as they pointed at Xu Qingyan. The ancient rites that Xu Qingyan had mentioned were established in a much earlier period when societal norms were simpler. From the emperor to the peddler, the concept of taking a concubine was non-existent. As per the marriage laws, a woman had to be married for twenty years without children before another wife could be taken. Furthermore, children birthed from the second wife could not surpass those from the first. Later, as people’s attitudes shifted, a penalty of a hundred strokes of the cane and a year of imprisonment was set for anyone who violated the marital laws and took another wife. However, these laws were gradually distorted as the emperor’s power grew, and the accepted concept of having multiple wives and concubines came into being. Now, probably only a family like the Xu Family would still follow the old rule of a man being allowed to take a concubine only after turning forty if he had no children. If such ancient rites were forcibly revived, the families present today would, at the very least, have their harems disbanded. Moreover, they would be subjected to numerous canings and imprisonments.

Xu Qingyan scoffed in contempt, then walked to Mr. Qingyun and gave a respectful bow, "Grandson pays his respects to grandfather."

Seeing his youngest grandson, Mr. Qingyun was also delighted. He chuckled and said, "Stand up, Yan’er. When did you come back? Have you seen your parents yet?" Xu Qingyan grinned and said, "I just got back. I passed by the foot of the mountain and came to see grandfather first. I thought you were busy playing chess with Mr. Su, but it seems very lively here."

Mr. Qingyun laughed and said, "Someone just came to visit your grandfather; you should also meet them. These gentlemen are very well-known great scholars and old ministers of Great Chu." Xu Qingyan cast a sidelong glance and put on a surprised voice, "Oh? So they are the famous scholars of Great Chu..." Xu Qingyan deliberately emphasized the words ’Great Chu,’ causing the old gentlemen’s faces to become somewhat uncomfortable. Though Great Chu had relocated to the south, it had not yet been officially annihilated. Despite this, they were all eager to show allegiance to Prince Ding’s Mansion, an act that appeared disloyal to outsiders.

Whether Xu Qingyan meant what he said or not, at least for these old gentlemen, that was what it sounded like. Being taunted by a mere stripling, even if he was from the Xu Family, was intolerable. One of them sneered, "I heard that the Fifth Young Master Xu holds high office at a young age. Mr. Qingyun indeed has good fortune."

Xu Qingyan seemed to completely misunderstand the other party’s insinuations and cheerfully said, "The old gentleman doesn’t have to envy my grandfather. I came back this time to ask Prince Ding and the Princess Consort for more people to support our cause. I heard that the sons in your household are all exceptional characters; why not have them come to the North with me to serve Prince Ding’s Mansion? I am still young, so serving under your sons would be fine too."

The face of the old man who had spoken became rigid instantly. If he had taken a jab at Xu Qingbai, perhaps he might still have some retort. But targeting Xu Qingyan had certainly been a tactical misstep. Didn’t everyone know that the Fifth Young Master Xu had, while still at a tender age, gone North with the Fourth Young Master Xu to open up new lands and cultivate them? Now that the Fourth Young Master Xu had left for Xiling, the Fifth Young Master Xu remained alone in the North. These self-proclaimed intellectuals, considering themselves too superior to associate with commoners, would surely not be willing to send their own children to mix with the vulgar masses. They would only complain that the official posts offered by Prince Ding’s Mansion to their family’s scions were not noble or high-ranking enough!

Among all the Xu sons, the Fifth Young Master Xu possessed the sharpest tongue, a trait inherited from the Second Master Xu in his youth. But the potency of his barbs did not derive from his eloquence, but from his biting, damaging, and ruthless remarks. In a short while, he had managed to make a group of old scholars, all of them over fifty, turn livid and beat a hasty retreat.

Only after they had left did Xu Qingyan snort contemptuously, "These people must be really bored. Why do they care if Prince Ding takes concubines or not?"

Sitting next to him, Su Zhe shook his head and laughed, "Fifth Young Master, you are a smart man; how could you not understand? This is definitely not just about taking in concubines." More importantly, once Prince Ding ascends the throne and takes consorts, these people would become royal relatives. If they were to produce a few more sons or daughters, their families would naturally become incredibly prestigious.

"They really aren’t afraid of death," Xu Qingyan muttered under his breath. With Prince Ding’s knack for insidiously causing death without consequence, would he really let these arrogant old scholars manipulate him?

"Men die for wealth as birds die for food; it has always been so," Su Zhe laughed.

True enough, those elderly scholars who had gone to visit Mr. Qingyun had barely settled back in the city when they heard about a decree from Prince Ding’s Mansion. Prince Ding issued a command appointing Young Master Qingchen as the Secondary Prime Minister, and Zhang Qilan, Lv Jinxian, Yuan Pei, and Leng Huai as Grand Generals. It was not surprising that all the commanders under the Mo Family Army received promotions. More importantly, all those in crucial positions of the third rank or above were young men under forty years old, such as Feng Zhiyao, Leng Haoyu, and Han Mingxi. Even Princess Consort Ding’s secret guards received appointments. For instance, Qin Feng was made Commander of Qilin in the Mo Family Army and given the title of General Bright and Brave. This placed him on equal rank with commanders like Murong Shen, who led armies of hundreds of thousands. Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, and Wei Lin also received official positions, assigned to the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, respectively. Naturally, He Su, who had distinguished military exploits, was made a Grand General.

Prince Ding’s sudden appointments dumbfounded many. Those so-called distinguished and elderly scholars of prestigious families mostly received lofty yet empty titles. Nevertheless, facing such treatment from Prince Ding, everyone was speechless. The two members of the Xu Family, Xu Hong Yu and Xu Hongyan, also received the same empty titles. The Xu Family had dedicated several years of hard work to Prince Ding’s Mansion. During the recent journey of Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding, a major incident occurred. Without key members of the Xu Family maintaining order, wouldn’t the Northwest have been plunged into chaos? Since the Xu Family members showed no dissatisfaction, these idlers, who were merely being supported, truly had no grounds to voice any complaints.

However, such an attitude from Prince Ding couldn’t help but distress all those prestigious families. Those whom Prince Ding relied on were his old supporters from Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army. He even preferred using the Princess Consort’s guards rather than employing the sons of these prestigious families. This was clearly a warning from Prince Ding. Besides, over the years, the Northwest’s imperial examination system was gradually maturing, leading to a significant decrease in opportunities for these aristocratic descendants to directly enter political offices. No matter how prestigious a family was, if they had no one speaking for them in court, they faced inevitable decline. How could they not be anxious?

Before they could react, orders from Prince Ding’s Mansion were continuously issued, leaving the elderly scholars feeling dizzy. The first and most pressing of these orders was a strange decree from Prince Ding. From now on, within Prince Ding’s domain, aside from the maternal relatives of the primary consort, members of the maternal families of Secondary Consorts, other concubines, and mistresses were forbidden from holding official positions for three generations. And this decree was permanent and non-negotiable.

Once this command was given, the heads of the prestigious families who were originally planning to send their daughters into Prince Ding’s Mansion suddenly felt like spewing blood. Not being allowed to serve as an official for three generations—what did this mean? This meant it was enough time for their enemies to trample them into the mud, never to rise again. Most importantly, this decree was permanent! In other words, from that point onward, those who wanted to ascend to higher ranks through nepotism would have to reconsider.

If these pieces of news could only be regarded as warnings to them, the final order clearly told them that the will of Prince Ding must not be defied. The ultimate decree was that, henceforth, Prince Ding’s Mansion would no longer continue the Great Chu tradition of preferential treatment for nobles. All officials must pass the imperial examination or be personally reviewed by Prince Ding or Princess Consort Ding. Most importantly, scholars participating in the imperial examination must have served at least one year in the military. The nobles who had initially brushed off the Northwest’s enactment of compulsory military service for adult males were suddenly panicked. Their descendants couldn’t enter court through hereditary rights and even lost the qualification to participate in the imperial examination through conventional means.

In a short time, the number of people seeking an audience at the Xu Mansion increased significantly.

In Prince Ding’s Mansion, individuals such as Xu Hong Yu, Xu Hongyan, and Xu Qingchen were present. Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li to the seat of honor and lazily looked at the crowd, clearly in a good mood. He had been greatly annoyed by those old pedants a few days ago, yet he couldn’t simply kill them. No matter; he, Mo Xiuyao, had other ways to make them suffer immensely. So, His Highness Prince Ding didn’t care that the series of ’bombs’ he’d dropped had thrown the prestigious families into a mess. He simply pulled Ye Li to his side to watch the drama unfold, laughing heartily in great amusement.

Xu Hong Yu shook his head at Xiuyao and said, "Does Your Highness really intend to drive these prestigious families to extinction?" These self-righteous prestigious families were sometimes annoying, but they couldn’t always be dismissed. Besides, if driven too hard, they might switch their allegiance to Jiangnan. Such a development would not be good for the reputation of Prince Ding’s Mansion.

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said, "If they claim to be loyal to me, they should play by my rules! Should I accommodate them instead? As long as they know their place, I will naturally give them a way out. As for those who are always wavering, I don’t care for them. These past few days, I must have caused quite a bit of trouble for you, Mr. Hongyu."

Mr. Qingyun was far away in Lishan Academy, and one couldn’t meet him just by wanting to. But Xu Hong Yu was right in Licheng. As the current Family Head of the Xu Family, he naturally became the prime target for the heads of various families to lobby and probe.

Xu Hong Yu shook his head, indicating that it didn’t matter. Now, Xu Qingchen was the Secondary Prime Minister, second only to one person and above thousands. Xu Qingbai was a chief official of a region, while Xu Qingze and Xu Qingfeng also held significant positions. With the Xu Family already flourishing to such an extent, the older generation felt no need to involve themselves in these matters. Their role was simply to pave the way and protect the younger generations appropriately.

Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow, looking at Mo Xiuyao, and asked, "Your Highness is leaving the position of Primary Prime Minister vacant. Who are you planning to bait?"

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, grinning sincerely, "I’m not baiting anyone. The position of Primary Prime Minister is already reserved for someone; it’s just that the person cannot assume the position yet."

"Mr. Xiuting?" Xu Qingchen said. Whether in terms of identity, ability, or reputation, Mr. Xiuting was undoubtedly an excellent candidate. Although he was originally from Xiling Kingdom, which might draw criticism, it would indeed make it easier to win the hearts of the Xiling people. After all, one-third of the territory under Prince Ding’s Mansion had been seized from Xiling Kingdom. Having a Xiling scholar as Prime Minister would greatly aid in winning the people’s loyalty.

"Mr. Xiuting agreed?" Xu Qingchen said. "But others don’t know." If others didn’t know, many people would indeed covet the position of Primary Prime Minister. Xu Qingchen was certain Mo Xiuyao had schemes related to this and would never believe otherwise.

Mo Xiuyao laughed, "Of course he has agreed. However, Mr. Xiuting is busy with affairs in the Northwest; it will take at least two to three months before he can come to Licheng to assume office. As for what happens during this period... it’s none of my business."

The people present couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of their mouths. Anyone who dared to play tricks under Prince Ding’s watchful eyes must have forgotten to burn ample incense in their past lives.

Seeing everyone’s expressions, Mo Xiuyao didn’t care at all and waved his hand, "Let’s not worry about these trivial matters now. They should quiet down for a few days after this. Let’s talk about... the first birthday banquet for Lin’er and Xin’er."

Everyone’s expressions tightened. Xu Qingze said calmly, "The invitations have all been sent out to Beirong, Great Chu, Xiling, Nanzhao, and the various Western Region states. We invited everyone we needed to. The guesthouses are also being prepared. The envoy from Beirong is now in Licheng, and the others will probably arrive in just over half a month. But by then... the safety of Licheng..." Xu Qingze frowned slightly. Although the current political situation seemed settled, this actually made things more dangerous. Whether from Beirong, Xiling, or Great Chu, many people were likely plotting in secret to assassinate Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao thought for a while and said, "When the time comes, I will station more troops near Licheng. Besides... Qingfeng’s Qilin can also be temporarily stationed in Licheng, ready for emergencies." Beside him, Ye Li nodded in agreement.

Mo Xiuyao curiously asked, "Who will represent Xiling?"

Xu Qingchen leisurely said, "If I’m not mistaken, it should be Lei Tengfeng."

"Lei Tengfeng?" Mo Xiuyao frowned; he had not yet taken Lei Tengfeng seriously. However, if Lei Tengfeng did come in person, it would mean that the situation within Xiling Kingdom was relatively stable.

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "I’m afraid I have to disappoint you; Lei Tengfeng and the Emperor of Xiling didn’t start a fight. As soon as the news of Lei Zhenting’s death spread, the Emperor of Xiling ordered Lei Tengfeng to succeed as the Southern Garrison Prince. The Emperor of Xiling has no son, so if all goes well, Lei Tengfeng will be the next Emperor of Xiling."

Neither the Emperor of Xiling nor Lei Tengfeng was as foolish as they imagined, so their hope of profiting from any internal struggle seemed about to fall through. Mo Xiuyao didn’t care, laughing as he waved his hand and said, "No matter. If Lei Tengfeng fell so quickly, I would be disappointed. Lei Zhenting’s death should help him grow. This time, I want to see how far he can go."

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Lei Tengfeng’s visit this time should be to negotiate with Prince Ding’s Mansion."

Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze, thought for a while, and said, "Let Murong Shen and Marquis South keep fighting. Unless they fight all the way to Xiling’s original border with Great Chu, there’s no need to negotiate."

Xu Qingchen considered for a moment and said, "If Lei Tengfeng wants to stabilize the situation and allow Xiling to recuperate, he might voluntarily make concessions."

"That would be best," Mo Xiuyao said with a smile. "No matter how he wants to negotiate, Xiling’s army must retreat to its original border with Great Chu."

Xu Qingchen nodded in agreement with Mo Xiuyao’s viewpoint and then frowned, saying, "The envoy from Beirong wishes to speak directly with you or Li’er."

Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with some confusion and asked, "Who did Beirong send as their envoy?"

Young Master Qingchen was speechless. Mo Xiuyao had been back for almost half a month. How indifferent could he be to not even know who the Beirong envoy was? Beirong had just fought a war with the Mo Family Army. Nevertheless, the envoy represented an entire nation. As Prince Ding, he should at least feign some diplomatic courtesy.

"Yelv Hong!"