The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Inside the Zhaode Hall, when Emperor Ningkang finally appeared, after the ministers congratulated him on his long life, a dozen or so envoys from neighboring countries or states took turns offering their congratulations.

There wasn't a long speech, since the meeting had already taken place a few days prior, and the gifts and congratulatory messages had already been received.

Today is just a simple banquet.

After all, not only the Jia family was holding ancestral rites today, but the imperial family was also busy with ancestral rites, so they couldn't afford to spend too much time at the banquet.

However, this also reveals the grandeur of China as a land of etiquette.

A dozen or so envoys, regardless of the size of their country, were all seated at the head of the left side of the main hall, directly in front of the civil officials.

The civil officials included Grand Secretaries and Ministers of the first rank.

To the right of the main hall were princes, nobles, and military officers.

It won't be crowded.

Those who were not of high enough rank were not qualified to enter the main hall and had to eat at an open-air banquet outside.

The banquet was quite harmonious, except that the newly appointed Grand Secretary Zhao Dongsheng stood up and gave a report, briefly summarizing the court's work and achievements over the past year.

He emphasized the court's victory in the war against the Jurchens, highly praised Jia Lian, and took the opportunity to flatter Emperor Ningkang.

Of course, he didn't mention a word about the Iron Net Mountain incident.

Halfway through the banquet, a prince from the imperial clan suddenly asked Emperor Ningkang, "Your Majesty, today we are holding a grand banquet for all officials and foreign guests. I wonder why the Emperor Emeritus is not here?"

The hall suddenly fell silent.

Many people looked at the person who spoke in shock, finding it hard to understand why anyone would dare to offend Emperor Ningkang at this critical juncture.

Have they all forgotten Xiao Jing's death and the great purge in the first half of the year?
Oh, I almost forgot.

Previously, those who were purged were all those who held power during the reign of the retired emperor, who were his subjects.

Upon closer examination, it seems that Emperor Ningkang didn't really harm any members of the imperial clan.

Because the royal family members who witnessed the bloodshed and cruelty of the mutiny were terrified, they didn't dare to stand up and oppose it.

Could it be that, after more than half a year, these members of the imperial clan felt they had become too proud, or that they thought Emperor Ningkang wouldn't dare to harm his own clan?
Seeing Emperor Ningkang's suddenly gloomy expression, many people became nervous.

Even more unexpectedly, following this prince, another prince also spoke up and asked, "Yes, sixth brother. We didn't see Father Emperor at his birthday celebration last time. Now that we're holding a grand banquet for all the officials, can't you let Father Emperor out so he can meet us?"

Everyone gasped inwardly, their shock beyond words.

Prince Guo.

The fifth son of the retired emperor, and also the eldest of the retired emperor's surviving children.

It is rumored that he was one of the strong contenders for the throne, but he was imprisoned by the retired emperor early on because of a mistake, and lost his qualification to compete for the throne.

Later, when Emperor Ningkang became the crown prince, the retired emperor remembered this son and released him.

What was the intention behind this former Prince Guo, now the Prince Guo who has been out of the public eye for many years, stepping forward and using the word "release" to describe Emperor Ningkang's attitude towards the retired emperor in front of civil and military officials and foreign guests?
It wasn't just the people below who were thinking about this issue; Emperor Ningkang himself was also pondering it.

He could ignore the previous issue of the prince of the imperial clan, but if he didn't respond to his elder brother's words, he feared that his imperial authority would be completely undermined.

In front of all the officials, especially the foreign envoys, Emperor Ningkang, out of consideration for his reputation, could only reply in a lukewarm tone: "My father is now enjoying his retirement in Chonghua Palace."

Now that he has passed the throne to me, he naturally cannot deal with these troublesome matters anymore.

"Is that so? But from the first year of Ningkang to the sixth year of Ningkang, Father Emperor personally attended the grand banquet for all officials on New Year's Eve every year. Why is this year an exception?"
Or is it not just this year, but every year from now on, every single day, that apart from you, none of us, the other sons of our father, nor even the princes and officials, will ever see his golden face again?

Even though Emperor Ningkang deliberately told himself to remain calm, his expression was still incredibly cold at this moment.

It wasn't just his useless older brother's questioning that reminded him of the "humiliation" of those years.

Yes, Prince Guo is right. From the first year of the Ningkang era to the sixth year of the Ningkang era, the retired emperor attended the grand banquet for all officials at the end of each year.

In fact, it wasn't just the year-end banquet for all officials; the retired emperor would usually be present for any major festival or celebration.

Once the retired emperor is around, Emperor Ningkang will only be able to sit on a small stool!

Even ordinary people might find it hard to tolerate having their sore spots pointed out to their faces, let alone an emperor.

"I have said that my father is enjoying his retirement in the Eastern Palace. If Prince Guo does not believe me, he may go to the Eastern Palace to pay his respects after the banquet."

Emperor Ningkang's voice was incredibly cold, and he even emphasized the words "Prince" to remind the other party that he was just a defeated prisoner, and even if he were released now, he would only be a useless person stripped of his title of Prince.

Prince Guo could certainly hear the mockery in Emperor Ningkang's voice. His expression changed, and he was about to say something more.

But Prince Duan pulled him aside, and then Prince Duan smiled like a good-natured man and said, "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. Prince Guo just hasn't seen the Emperor Emeritus for too long, so he can't help but miss him."

Actually, it wasn't just Prince Guo; many members of our imperial clan missed the late Emperor Emeritus very much.

If possible, Your Majesty, please invite the Emperor Emeritus out so that we may meet him. This would reassure the imperial family, the officials, and the people of the realm.

Prince Duan's sincere expression resonated with all the members of the imperial clan, who all showed expressions of agreement.

Even some people who had accepted the change of dynasty felt that Emperor Ningkang's actions of placing the retired emperor under house arrest and preventing him from seeing anyone were going too far.

No matter what, he is still your father, the biological father who personally handed the throne to you. How can you treat him like this? Isn't that extremely unfilial?
The portly Prince Duan was pleased to see that his words had worked.

In fact, their actions today were not intended to overthrow Emperor Ningkang.

They were simply increasingly dissatisfied with Emperor Ningkang's recent behavior and looking for an opportunity to launch an attack.

Look how well they chose their timing.

On occasions where the retired emperor would appear every year, it's perfectly reasonable for them to miss him and want to see him.
You, Emperor Ningkang, cannot punish us simply because we miss our former master and respect your biological father.

To be frank, if your biological father, the previous emperor, was not worthy of being remembered and respected, then what are you, the successor, to the throne?
Of course, we have made our demands, and whether you agree or not is your business.

If you don't agree, you should consider whether all the civil and military officials in the hall will hold a grudge against you.

You can imagine whether those foreign guests will spread your reputation for "filial piety" after they go back home.

If you agree, that would be even better.

The room for maneuver suddenly became much greater.

In any case, their goal was to make Emperor Ningkang uncomfortable and to make him realize the weight and status of the imperial clan.

This was meant to make Emperor Ningkang understand that becoming emperor did not give him the right to disregard the interests of his clan and officials, and to act recklessly.

Simply put, this is a game of politics and interests.

If Emperor Ningkang continues to act willfully and disregard the interests of the imperial clan and other groups in the future, there will be many more difficult things to come!
Seeing that more and more people were beginning to echo his sentiments and want to meet the Emperor Emeritus, Prince Duan glanced back, originally just wanting to see how many supporters his words had garnered.

Unexpectedly, I saw the influential figure next to Shui Rong, silently drinking from a wine glass.

Thinking back to how badly this fellow beat his own son back then, yet he himself gained Emperor Ningkang's favor because of it, and from then on, he rose to prominence.

It can be said that this guy's success was achieved by stepping on the reputation of his Prince Duan's mansion.

Feeling displeased, he looked at Jia Lian with a smile and said, "I suppose the Duke of Rongguo also wants to see the Emperor Emeritus, after all, he is your closest relative... Putting that aside, the Emperor Emeritus was very fond of you back then."

I praised you highly at your birthday banquet.

Oh right, I forgot that people are naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm.

I imagine that Rong Gong must be desperate to sever ties with the Emperor Emeritus right now. Alas, the human heart…

Prince Duan's thoughts were very simple.

Aren't you Emperor Ningkang's most trusted and loyal confidant? Emperor Ningkang dared to let you lead troops into battle even knowing your identity, which shows how much he trusted you.

Then I'll put you on the fire to roast.

On one side is the current emperor who promotes and trusts you, and on the other side is your own grandfather, the old emperor.

If you choose the old emperor, then you are being disloyal to Emperor Ningkang.

If you elect the current emperor, that would be unfilial.

The drama of being torn between loyalty to one's country and filial piety is so exciting to think about.

Jia Lian was originally enjoying his fine wine, observing the situation with indifference.

Although the scene before him was unexpected, it was also quite reasonable.

In fact, it was foreseeable that Emperor Ningkang would seize power through a coup but not target the retired emperor himself.

The reason why the Second Princess dared to let her father live a comfortable life and have children in the harem was because he had led troops to conquer half of the Tang Dynasty.

He truly deserves that position.

Emperor Ningkang clearly could not reach that level.

If Emperor Ningkang was only after power and was willing to share the benefits with all parties after the deed was done, then it was not impossible for him to completely unite all forces.

But he also wanted to be a capable ruler.

Look at what he did after he completely seized power.

Reforming the bureaucracy, reforming the military system, and clearing up land ownership...

Which one of these things wasn't something that offended people?

Therefore, as long as the retired emperor is alive, those who are dissatisfied with him and oppose him will use the retired emperor as a weapon to attack him.

To be frank, if Emperor Ningkang had been more ruthless, he should have ensured that the retired emperor died unexpectedly or from illness after the successful coup.

Of course, if Emperor Ningkang really did that, then...

Jia Lian himself would also view Emperor Ningkang from a different perspective.

I don't want to suddenly get caught in the crossfire.

Seeing the Prince Duan's gloomy smile, Jia Lian cursed inwardly, but remained sitting there with a smile on his face, as if he hadn't heard the other party at all.

He chose to ignore it, but those princes of the imperial clan who had long harbored resentment towards Emperor Ningkang realized what was going on.

Yes, compared to Prince Guo, a descendant of the retired emperor who had long since passed away, Jia Lian, a bloodline publicly acknowledged by the retired emperor and the most trusted confidant of Emperor Ningkang, was naturally easier to command.

Immediately, someone stepped forward, pointed at Jia Lian's nose, and said, "What Prince Duan said is correct."

Back when the Emperor Emeritus was alive, how much he valued you! He was even willing to ruin his own reputation to reveal your background to the world.

The Emperor Emeritus loved you so much, and now that he is imprisoned, how can you, his bloodline grandson, stand idly by?

At this time, you should step forward and join us in pleading with His Majesty to grant the Emperor Emeritus a meeting with us.

Let us see if the Emperor Emeritus is well!

"Exactly."

"If you don't step forward, you'll be unfilial and unworthy of my imperial bloodline..."

Emperor Ningkang was originally furious and wanted to teach these ignorant and useless members of the imperial clan a profound lesson.

Suddenly seeing them turn their guns on Jia Lian, Emperor Ningkang was taken aback for a moment, then decided to watch the drama unfold first.

He also wanted to see how Jia Lian would deal with these old fogies who relied on their seniority.

Since Jia Lian and Shui Rong are now the heads of the nobility, their seats are naturally next to each other.

Seeing that Jia Lian remained silent, Shui Rong assumed that Jia Lian was stumped, so he immediately spoke up as the first king of a different surname, attempting to divert attention from Jia Lian.

"Your Highnesses, since His Majesty has already said that the Emperor Emeritus is retiring in the Eastern Palace."

As subjects, how can we possibly ask the Emperor Emeritus to come out and see us?

It is now time for the state banquet. If any of you princes have any questions, why don't you ask His Majesty after the banquet?
Discussing matters of the imperial family in front of envoys from various countries is undeniably improper; I urge all princes to consider this carefully.

Shui Rong truly deserves to be called a wise king; his words are in accordance with proper etiquette.

The Han people believed that if an arm was broken, it should be hidden in the sleeve.

It is truly unseemly for members of the imperial family to speak of such matters that are detrimental to the dignity of the nation in front of foreign guests.

Some of Ningkangdi's staunch supporters also found a foothold and came forward to echo Shui Rong's words.

However, while Shui Rong held an extremely high status outside the royal family, he was just another name in the royal family.

The old princes couldn't let Shui Rong ruin their plans, and they all scolded him, saying, "Since you know this is a matter for the imperial family, how dare you, an outsider, interfere?"

"That's right, that's right. We just want to see the Emperor Emeritus, is that wrong?"

"Please allow the Duke of Rong to speak!"

As Jia Lian expected, water-soluble substances would be less effective.

Since these mascots of the imperial clan dared to stand up and disgust Emperor Ningkang, they naturally didn't care about decorum.

Some even used vulgar language, causing Shui Rong's face to turn red.

Feeling grateful for Shui Rong's righteousness, Jia Lian slowly put down his wine cup.

Perhaps due to his celebrity aura, Jia Lian's simple gesture caused an unusual silence in the hall.

Everyone looked at him.

Ignoring the "point at me, point at me" look on Prince Duan's face, Jia Lian turned to Prince Guo and asked:

"My esteemed old prince with gray hair, there is something I do not understand."

Jia Lian's contemptuous attitude made Prince Guo's expression turn very ugly.

He was only one year older than Emperor Ningkang, and his hair was not yet gray; he was just having a run of bad luck and looked a bit older.

It's one thing for Jia Lian to describe him like that.

The real question is, how dare they even refer to themselves as "this person"?
It was as if the other person was of a higher status than him.

He was a legitimate prince, a descendant of the emperor. Even if he was stripped of his title as a prince, he would still be a duke, a position far superior to that of a duke.

Strictly speaking, Jia Lian's self-reference constitutes a grave offense of disrespect, an act of insubordination.

Of course, he also knew that Emperor Ningkang would definitely not make decisions for him, and now was not the time to dwell on such trivial matters.

So he simply said coldly, "What is it that you don't understand?"

"You just said that His Majesty wouldn't let you see the Emperor Emeritus, nor would he allow anyone else to see him, and you even said that His Majesty should 'release' the Emperor Emeritus. This is really puzzling."

"How is it so hard to understand?"

"I clearly see the Emperor Emeritus quite often!"

Not only was it common before, but I had already seen the Emperor Emeritus's golden face just a few days after I returned from Liaodong.

So I was thinking, is it possible that your inability to see the Emperor Emeritus isn't due to His Majesty's fault, but simply because the Emperor Emeritus doesn't want to see you?

Jia Lian blinked, looking at Prince Guo with a face full of innocent confusion.

His words made everyone in the hall laugh, or at least smile.

Judging from Jia Lian's expression, they couldn't tell whether he truly didn't know Prince Guo's identity.

He said that people can't see their own father, but it's just that their own father simply doesn't want to see them.

This is extremely insulting.

Prince Guo naturally felt insulted and angrily retorted, "Nonsense! My father has always loved me the most. How could he not want to see me? It's clearly him..."

Seeing that Prince Guo was about to speak recklessly, Prince Duan quickly interrupted him, saying, "Fifth Prince, please calm down..."

Prince Guo hesitated for a moment, but still felt it was best not to offend Emperor Ningkang too much, so he changed his words:
"Nonsense! You claim you frequently see the Emperor Emeritus, what proof do you have?"

Prince Guo did not believe it.

Emperor Ningkang had clearly placed the retired emperor under house arrest, preventing anyone from seeing him.

Why was Jia Lian allowed to meet with them, and so often?

This is clearly just echoing someone else's words.

In fact, not only Prince Guo did not believe it, but most others did not believe it either.

After all, from another perspective, Jia Lian's status was more special than that of the imperial family. Emperor Ningkang must have been crazy to allow Jia Lian to see the retired emperor so often.

Wasn't Emperor Ningkang worried that Jia Lian might have something else hidden in his clothes when he left the palace?

Jia Lian seemed to know that others wouldn't believe him, so he flicked his robe, pulled a gold medal from his waist, and displayed it before Prince Guo and the others:
"This is a token personally bestowed by the Emperor Emeritus. With this token, one can freely enter and exit the Eastern Palace."

Over the years, I have used this token to visit the retired emperor countless times in the Eastern Palace.

Upon returning from Liaodong, he realized he had missed the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, so he immediately went to pay his respects to the Emperor Emeritus after returning to the capital.

He is still in good spirits, but he is getting older and his legs and feet are becoming very inconvenient.

I squatted down in front of his wheelchair and told him many interesting things about Liaodong. He even praised me for being a good child.

Therefore, if you really can't see the Emperor Emeritus, you should really reflect on yourselves and see if you have truly been filial to him all these years.

"What, does Prince Duan want to verify the authenticity of this token?"

Seeing that Prince Duan was craning his neck to examine it, Jia Lian simply handed the token to him.

Prince Duan felt as if he had swallowed a fly, gave a cold snort, and turned his head away.

Jia Lian then smiled and took the gold medal back.

This gold medal is the one that was bestowed upon us by the Emperor Emeritus.

However, his ability to enter and leave Chonghua Palace was not due to this token.

The impact of Jia Lian's actions was significant.

Many officials and nobles, unaware of the situation, couldn't help but think that perhaps the reason they wouldn't see the retired emperor was truly because their status wasn't high enough...

Since the Duke of Rongguo was able to meet the Emperor Emeritus, it proves that the rumor that Emperor Ningkang had placed the Emperor Emeritus under house arrest and prevented anyone from seeing him was false.

However, you, Duke Rong, were a renowned duke who had made great contributions to the country by eliminating the Jurchens and expanding the territory of the dynasty.

Are you serious about how you're so pleased with yourself for being praised as a good kid?
On second thought, if the person praising him were the nearly 60-year-old retired emperor, now in his eighties, it wouldn't seem so out of place.

Wind direction is a very strange thing.

Even without being told, the hundreds of people in the hall all knew that it seemed that the princes of the royal family had been causing trouble for no reason.

Emperor Ningkang also laughed.

This kid has never let me down.

Looking at those old folks still exchanging glances and discussing countermeasures, Emperor Ningkang slammed his hand on the table and said coldly, "Alright, today is a state banquet, not a place for you to quarrel."

"And also, Fifth Prince, and Prince Duan..."

Emperor Ningkang gave Prince Duan a cold look, and Prince Duan felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

Oh no, I've shown off too much today, and I'm afraid this person has taken notice of me.

Fortunately, Emperor Ningkang only glanced at him before continuing, "If you wish to see the Emperor Emeritus, you can go directly to the Eastern Palace to request an audience after the banquet."

Not only the two of you, but any of you who wish to see the Emperor Emeritus may go.

However, I do not know whether the Emperor Emeritus will receive you.

I urge everyone to carefully consider their standing in the Emperor Emeritus's eyes before deciding whether or not to go.

That last sentence is a blatant threat.

Many people who were caught up in the moment and genuinely believed that Emperor Ningkang was acting out of filial piety and wanted to see the retired emperor suddenly came to their senses and cursed themselves for being fools.

It may be easy to go, but it will be difficult to come out unscathed.

"The banquet continues."

...(End of chapter)