Of all the gifts presented at the banquet so far, this was the first time the Emperor had shown such genuine appreciation for one.

Countless probing gazes settled on him. When Ying Fusheng heard the Emperor’s laughter, he seemed to come back to himself from that careful, anxious state, and looked up toward the high seat. A faint bewilderment crossed his expression before he caught himself and responded, “Thank you, Father.”

The Emperor seemed not to notice the undercurrents among the assembled ministers, and for the first time looked directly at Ying Fusheng. Looking down from above, all he could make out was the small crown of his head as the boy bowed. A physique like this was truly too frail for the imperial family. When he had first laid eyes on this child, he had not given him much thought. The boy’s conduct was proper and correct, but compared to the ease and composure of the other princes, Ying Fusheng was somewhat timid by comparison.

His expression settled somewhat. He watched Ying Fusheng standing honestly and respectfully in the courtyard. “A gift of prayers is a precious thing. None of your older brothers thought to offer such a gift. How did you come to think of it?”

At the Emperor’s question, the expressions of the assembled ministers darkened, and several princes at the princes’ table shifted in their seats.

Ying Fusheng’s fingernails pressed slightly into his palm. He kept his posture deferential. “Your son’s gift falls far short of what my brothers have offered. My brothers’ gifts speak for themselves, but during your son’s illness, Her Majesty the Empress and my Crown Prince Brother went out to pray on several occasions. That the Crown Prince did not mention it does not mean it was not done. I imagine the same is true of my other brothers.”

These words surprised everyone present. The expressions of several princes at the princes’ table eased somewhat. Presenting birthday gifts appeared to be a small matter, but the undercurrents ran deep. The Crown Prince would not otherwise have gone to the trouble of commissioning those fine jade beast sculptures. Who had come out ahead and who had fallen short was plain from the Emperor’s reaction. What was unexpected was that Ying Fusheng had just given the other princes a way out. In truth, this was not a move that served his own interests. Had he seized the moment to claim credit for himself, the Emperor would surely have rewarded him generously, but he had not.

The Crown Prince could still just barely keep the smile on his lips, but there was not a trace of warmth left in his eyes. He felt none of the gratitude one might expect from being let off the hook, only a galling sense of having been outmaneuvered. Behind him, some of the imperial clansmen and senior officials exchanged knowing looks, surprise and scrutiny mingling in their gazes as they quietly calculated.

In the silence that had fallen over the tables, Ying Fusheng spoke on, unhurried, from the center of the courtyard.

“Your son is without talent and in poor health. During my illness, Mother prayed and recited scripture on my behalf, and Grandmother showed me great care and kindness, and it was through this that I was able to return from the gates of death.” He spoke each word with care and sincerity. “Prayers for blessing are what people wish for, and all the more so for the imperial family. The soldiers of the realm give everything in service, and your son, unable to be there in body, wished to do what little he could.”

Consort Ning went rigid.

The consorts around her exchanged glances. Word had long since spread that Consort Ning had been made to recite scripture as a punishment, and that she had even been confined to her quarters. Yet in just a few sentences, the Sixth Prince had smoothed over the Wangyue Pavilion matter and placed part of the credit on Consort Ning. These were not words a ten-year-old child could produce on his own. They were clearly something Consort Ning had coached him to say.

Consort Ning’s carefully maintained face went stiff. From the moment Ying Fusheng had presented those two paintings, everything had gone beyond what she had anticipated. She had barely managed to hold herself together in her panic. When had any of this been prepared, and where had that bastard gotten the nerve to go over her head and arrange all of this?

And yet she could not deny it. All of this credit had simply landed in her lap. She looked around in a panic, but the Crown Prince in the distance spared her not a single glance. She could only look toward the courtyard, wishing she could march over and drag that bastard Ying Fusheng down herself.

The candlelight swayed inside the Wangyue Pavilion, casting its glow over Ying Fusheng’s lowered brows and eyes, still as water.

The atmosphere of the palace banquet had quietly shifted from the moment that gift was presented.

The Empress Dowager’s expression was warm. The Sixth Prince’s two gifts had genuinely surpassed her expectations. While everyone else had offered weapons and animal sculptures, Ying Fusheng’s gift had centered on prayer and blessing. She looked toward the Emperor. “This child is sincere.”

The Emperor’s gaze shifted slightly. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne inside his sleeve. A new measure of surprise had entered his eyes. This child of his appeared frail, yet what he had shown went beyond that frailty. He gave a nod of approval, then said suddenly, “Since you hold the soldiers in your heart and pray for their sake, do you know what it is they fight for?”

At these words, the military officials at the banquet raised their heads slightly, and the civil officials showed open surprise on their faces.

The Crown Prince’s expression worsened further. His gift had not earned a single word of praise from the Emperor, and now Ying Fusheng had not only received praise but was being addressed directly by their father in front of the entire court.

Gazes from every direction fell on Ying Fusheng like blades at his back. When he heard the Emperor’s question, he paused for a moment, as if thinking it over. The Emperor on the high seat showed rare patience, turning the thumb ring on his finger, his expression outwardly calm yet seeming to see through something.

Ying Fusheng’s fingers tightened slightly inside his sleeve. His face showed no alarm. If anything, he looked a little troubled.

“What is it? Is this question so difficult?” the Emperor asked, though his gaze passed without seeming to over the civil ministers’ tables, where the Ministry of Rites’ Vice Minister Ning was seated.

To call it difficult would be an understatement. If the court officials could read the situation, the Emperor could read it tenfold. Every military commander in the realm was seated at these very tables, watching. Even a seasoned official would weigh his words carefully before speaking, let alone a prince.

At the tables, several military officers looked over at the sound.

General Qi Shen sat with his back straight and his bearing correct. The young man seated beside him had a slight furrow in his brow, his gaze drifting quietly to the prince standing in the courtyard.

The surroundings had fallen almost entirely silent. But Ying Fusheng in the courtyard was quiet for only a brief moment. Something that looked like a trace of sorrow gathered in his clear eyes, and his voice came out crisp and earnest. “Your son does not understand grand principles, Father. Only, during my illness I heard the palace attendants say that soldiers go to war to defend their homes and protect their country. They protect us.”

His voice dropped slightly as he continued. “But to go to war is to not return unless victorious. A soldier who goes may never come back. During your son’s illness, I too hoped and waited for Father’s return. If I felt that way, then surely in the homes of the soldiers, there are also mothers and fathers and children waiting for them to come home. If they fall on the battlefield far from home, will they be able to find their way back?”

When the words landed, those present seemed not to have anticipated so simple an answer. The Sixth Prince’s childlike reply echoed through the Wangyue Pavilion. It was the answer that only a child’s heart could arrive at. Prayers for blessing held no grand purpose than this, only the hope that the souls of the fallen might find their way home.

The Emperor on the high seat was briefly taken aback. The sharp, penetrating look in those eyes that could read any heart seemed to soften, like spring snow beginning to melt, and an expression that was both surprised and complex appeared there. “Good… well said.”

His gaze rested on Ying Fusheng’s slight shoulders. “You are young, yet you have a sincere heart. That is rare.”

Then, to everyone’s surprise, he beckoned to Ying Fusheng. “Come. Come before me.”

At these words, several people’s expressions shifted. Consort Ning looked up in disbelief. The Crown Prince’s composure finally cracked. Ying Fusheng’s eyes flickered with surprise. He looked up and met the Emperor’s gaze, gave a slight bow, and walked up the steps. The figures at his sides grew smaller as he climbed, and the world around him seemed to go quiet.

The scent of dragon’s blood incense was close now. His palms grew cold, and he moved toward the Emperor one step at a time.

The Emperor patted his young shoulders. After that searching look, those unfathomably deep eyes showed a warmth Ying Fusheng had never seen in them before.

He could even hear a soft laugh close to his ear. When the laughter eased, the Emperor looked out at the assembled civil and military officials. “Did you all hear that? Some truths, and yet a child sometimes sees them more clearly than any of you.”

He gave Ying Fusheng a slight nod, his tone gentling somewhat. “Since you understand this, do you know what must be done?”

Ying Fusheng’s peripheral vision took in the civil and military officials at the tables. The hand on his shoulder was warm but heavy as a thousand weights. A thousand thoughts converged and dissolved, until all that remained before him was the guilelessness and uncertainty that belonged to a child his age. He said, “Your son does not know.”

The Emperor nodded, but did not press further at Ying Fusheng’s answer. His gaze swept over the assembled ministers in the courtyard, and he spoke. “Every road leads home. Every soul has somewhere to return to. Today, on the occasion of the Empress Dowager’s birthday, I will establish a soldiers’ shrine in her name.”

“In the northern frontier campaign, the loyal souls of the fallen soldiers are the foundation of Great Yuan’s strength. Those who have rendered meritorious service to the realm shall be recorded in the annals and enshrined in the soldiers’ shrine. Temples throughout the land shall observe a seven-day period of vegetarian observance. The people shall pray for blessings, to comfort the hearts of the living, and to guide the souls of the fallen soldiers home.”

Ying Fusheng’s expression stilled for a moment.

The assembled ministers rose to their feet. “Long live His Majesty’s wisdom.”

Great Yuan held martial prowess above all else. Both Emperors of the dynasty had used force to end conflict, and even the Empress Dowager came from a military family.

In such a world, whether the Emperor believed in gods and Buddhas was something only the imperial family knew, but prayers for blessing were different. The turmoil that came from prolonged warfare meant the people needed something to rally around. With this act of blessing sent out into the world, the Emperor’s compassion for all living souls would be seen by the common people in an entirely different light.

The Emperor’s voice eased, taking on an unusually gentle quality. “The Sixth Prince has rendered merit through his prayers. He is awarded a hundred-year ginseng root, to strengthen and restore his constitution.”

“See that the establishment of the soldiers’ shrine and the prayers are carried out without delay.” The Emperor’s gaze shifted and fell on the Ministry of Rites’ vice minister. “This matter, Vice Minister Ning, I entrust to you.”

The Ministry of Rites’ Vice Minister Ning was overcome with gratitude, and rose at once, hurrying forward. “This official receives the imperial decree.”

Many eyes at the tables turned toward Vice Minister Ning.

The Ning family had kept a low profile for years, but with the Sixth Prince’s moment of distinction today, the family had risen on the wind in an instant.

As the undercurrents surged through the tables, Ying Fusheng bowed and straightened. The bewilderment from before had vanished entirely behind his lowered lids. He smoothed his robes and tucked his sleeves, and did not return to his seat until the Emperor gave his leave.

In an instant, gazes from all around came rushing toward him. The princes’ table was particularly intense.

The Crown Prince clung to his usual air of brotherly warmth by a thread, forcing out a smile for Ying Fusheng even as his hand, hidden beneath the table, pressed into his own palm. The First Prince and the Second Prince, seated relatively nearby, watched Ying Fusheng with undisguised interest. For the first time since taking their seats, they gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

“Be at ease, everyone. A palace banquet is meant to be enjoyed.” The Emperor spoke.

With the gifts presented, the banquet’s music and entertainment resumed.

The Emperor had rewarded the military commanders for their merits that very afternoon, and at the banquet he had used the Empress Dowager’s birthday and the gift-giving as a further occasion to distribute condolences. Many people looked toward Vice Minister Ning. No one believed that a gift so carefully considered could have been prepared by a ten-year-old child. It looked far more like the Ning family behind the Sixth Prince had been the ones doing the strategizing.

For a time, even more eyes turned toward Vice Minister Ning and Consort Ning. The Ning family had always been thought to be cautious and unambitious, but looking at things now, it seemed the time simply had not been right before.

The banquet stretched on. The wine had gone around several times, and the atmosphere was at its height.

At this point in the evening, the Emperor stepped away from his seat for a brief rest, and the atmosphere in the hall shifted noticeably.

Between the gift and Vice Minister Ning, Ying Fusheng had become the center of attention at the princes’ table. His earlier words, childlike yet so widely praised, had drawn the notice of many officials. This was his first palace banquet, and his conduct throughout had been deliberately restrained and quietly deferential. Only a faint brightness lingered between his brows, as though he were entirely unaware of the undercurrents running through the depths of the palace.

In the eyes of the assembled ministers, this manner read as simple and transparent. Seeing his pleasure written plainly on his face, simple enough to read at a glance, the speculation directed at Vice Minister Ning took on a different character entirely.

“Vice Minister Ning.”

Vice Minister Ning suddenly found himself the object of his colleagues’ attention. This was not something he was accustomed to in ordinary times. The Ning family had never commanded much regard at court. Recent years had been better, but after so long out of prominence, they were still a step behind. The Sixth Prince’s appearance today had brought him a measure of distinction, and people who had never deigned to speak with him before were now coming over.

He had already been on edge today over the Wangyue Pavilion matter, and had not expected to receive the Emperor’s recognition at the palace banquet on top of everything else. It filled him not only with elation but with a sense of sudden clarity.

This was an unexpected windfall. He shot a sharp look at Consort Ning from across the hall, warning her not to make any rash moves, then took the opportunity to exchange a few words with the officials in front of him.

The Ning family had never had a moment like this. Vice Minister Ning, who had swallowed his frustrations for years, sat at the palace banquet accepting toasts from his colleagues.

At the princes’ table, Ying Fusheng glanced over at Vice Minister Ning in his moment of glory, and a flicker of contempt passed through his composed expression.

He turned the wine cup in front of him. In the reflection, the Ning family had stepped into the open. Vice Minister Ning was basking in his colleagues’ attention, unaware that he had become the focus of the majority of those present.

Ying Fusheng looked away. Not far off at the civil ministers’ tables, several senior cabinet elders were seated among the others. At their head was the Xu clan of the literati faction. Among them, one elderly man was giving a slight nod, seeming to take note of the movements in the hall, his peripheral gaze passing briefly over Ying Fusheng.

Ying Fusheng’s eyes shifted slightly. The answer was already clear in his mind. The Xu family had long been the leading voice of the literati faction, and was also Empress Xu’s maternal family, the force that would one day put the Crown Prince on the throne.

The Xu family…

The reflection in the cup stilled. His expression remained composed and deferential, but his gaze had moved to the distance.

At the consorts’ tables, Consort Ning watched her father moving among the officials, then looked back at Ying Fusheng. The color had drained from her face, and her grip on her handkerchief tightened.

“Jiejie, the Sixth Prince has certainly won the Emperor’s favor today,” one of the consorts remarked.

“How could he have…” Consort Ning forced a smile to her face, but inside she could not find a shred of anything to smile about.

The other consorts thought differently. The Sixth Prince’s gift had clearly been prepared with deliberate care.

Consort Ning had never competed for anything in ordinary times. So this was what she had been saving herself for.

Several consorts wore their smiles, while Consort Ning’s panic grew with every passing moment.

The scene she had imagined, with the Crown Prince making a great impression, had not come to pass. She had reached out to the Ning family at the Ministry of Rites in advance and passed word to the Crown Prince’s side, yet her own family had not looked out for her in return, and had instead repeatedly ignored her hints. Now Ying Fusheng had made a great impression, and the Crown Prince had come out looking somewhat diminished by comparison. This was not the outcome she wanted.

That was all well and good to say, but as she let her gaze sweep over the assembled ministers at the tables, she was close to wanting Ying Fusheng dead.

“Jiejie is usually so easygoing, and yet it turns out her gift preparation had quite a purpose behind it,” one of the consorts said with pointed meaning. “The attention this has drawn even surpasses the Crown Prince.”

Consort Ning was just about to offer a rebuttal when the Crown Prince suddenly turned around from in front of her. She instinctively moved to smile at him, but the Crown Prince’s expression was cold, and the look he directed at her carried a distinct wariness and hostility.

—

Author’s note:

Qi Shen is Hanzhou’s father!

Both of them are still young right now~

Sheng-ge: (the performance begins)

Zhou-ge: (frowns)