SGSHE133

Jing Heguang had absolutely no desire to be emperor.

If the reigning emperor were incompetent or a threat to his safety, he would certainly find a way to eliminate the danger.

But as it stood, the emperor was his brother-in-law, the empress was his sister, and the young crown prince was his nephew. The emperor treated his sister well and possessed a clear, rational mind, so what was there to worry about?

Being emperor was out of the question.

The higher the position, the greater the responsibility. One only needs to look at how many emperors had succumbed to illness from overwork and died in their prime.

Being a foolish or tyrannical ruler was equally unappealing. It might offer momentary gratification, but it invited an early, wretched end, and one would be reviled by history after death.

Jing Heguang bluntly pointed out the errors of the original owner’s father who had presided over the fall of their kingdom, hoping to stir the consciences of his subordinates.

But deeply ingrained beliefs could not be shaken by a single remark.

Chi Xiu’s aged voice rang out: “Your Highness, even if the late emperor erred, it falls to you to make amends! That rebel Xu rose from the common rabble. He is shortsighted, how could he possibly shoulder the burden of the realm?”

Jing Heguang disagreed.

The emperor had indeed risen from humble origins, but the very fact that he had ascended to the throne despite such a background only demonstrated his extraordinary nature.

As for the matter of governing the state, the new dynasty had already been established for five years, and the lives of the common people were steadily improving.

Jing Heguang had intended to refute the claim, but then he recalled how the original owner had frequently disparaged the emperor’s background and lack of sophistication…

He decided to let the matter drop.

However, this exchange reminded Jing Heguang of something.

There was a reason why the original owner, and these men, looked down on the emperor.

Even after the kingdom fell, the original owner had continued to live a life of luxury, with plenty of money at his disposal. Because he was so detached from reality, he remained ignorant of the true state of the world and the actual lives of the common people. His impression of their existence was frozen in the time when the kingdom had collapsed.

Extending the thought further, the original owner had been out of touch with reality. Chi Xiu, who spent his days in hiding, and most of the people in this room seemed equally ‘detached from the common world’.

Their understanding was disconnected from the reality outside. Only those who actually ventured out knew what the Xu dynasty looked like these days.

Yet, those who did go out lacked the education and privileged backgrounds of the people in this room, and thus, they had no voice.

With that in mind, Jing Heguang turned and picked up the sketches he had created over the past ten nights.

He passed the drawings from his hands to the people gathered there.

Portraits featuring ordinary people were rare. In these times, it was mostly the wealthy who commissioned portraits, and the scholar-artists who painted them generally only interacted with the upper echelons of society.

Jing Heguang’s works, however, were a rarity – paintings that captured the lives of common folk.

In some of the sketches, the faces of the subjects were not clearly defined, yet the sense of happiness, stability, and prosperity radiating from the images left his subordinates utterly astonished.

Were the common people really living so well? Did everyone truly wear a smile?

Even the sketch depicting a child being scolded by a parent brimmed with a vivid, lifelike energy!

“This…” Chi Xiu’s withered fingers lingered over the drawing titled ‘Cooking Smoke’, reluctant to pull away.

Of all the people present, Chi Xiu was the one who had truly been isolated from the world for the longest time.

He had remained in hiding, terrified that he might be discovered and draw unwanted attention to Jing Heguang, a prince of the fallen dynasty.

Seeing their silence, Jing Heguang sat back down, clenched his fists, and adopted the air of someone who had something to say but was hesitating to speak.

Jing Heguang opened his mouth three times before finally speaking with solemnity: “The well-being of the common people is one of my concerns. You all speak of benefits that will last for a thousand years, but how can such a future truly be guaranteed? It takes only one incompetent heir to plunge the realm into chaos once more.”

“Your Highness is being too extreme;, with proper upbringing, a child…” The speaker this time was not Chi Xiu, but a middle-aged man sitting opposite him, a figure who commanded considerable respect among the group.

Before he could finish, however, Jing Heguang waved his hand dismissively.

“My father’s mentor was a man of great virtue and ability, yet it was to no avail.” Jing Heguang spoke ill of his late, good-for-nothing father without a shred of guilt.

After all, the man had managed to run the country into the ground. Clearly, he was utterly incompetent, a veritable master at courting disaster.

As for the matter of children, upbringing certainly plays a role, but instruction alone cannot guarantee a child will turn out well. After all, even fine bamboo can produce a stunted shoot.

Having refuted that point, Jing Heguang continued in a gentler tone: “I am a scion of the Jing clan, and so is my sister. The Crown Prince may carry the blood of the Xu family, but the other half of his lineage is Jing blood.”

This was his third reason.

Jing Heguang felt the Jing clan was actually getting a pretty good deal out of this. Let the Emperor work like a beast of burden to stabilize the realm first, then let his beloved nephew ascend the throne in comfort, what could be better?

Jing Heguang swept his gaze over his loyal followers with a sincere look, hoping they would perceive the honesty of his intentions.

The men below, however, were somewhat bewildered.

Jing Heguang had put forward several arguments, each one more persuasive than the last.

The late Emperor had made mistakes, the people now lived in stability, they had already installed the Princess in the Fengluan Palace…

Yet, in the hearts of these men, the Princess’s child was fundamentally different from Jing Heguang’s own child.

The master they followed and believed in was ‘His Highness’, not the Princess! Someone hesitated and said, “The little Crown Prince is still young. The future is uncertain…What if that rebel Xu wants to replace him with someone else?”

Chi Xiu’s thoughts went a step further, he thought of the young man His Highness had recently married.

It was only after the grand wedding, when His Highness had slipped away for over ten days of leisure, that he had changed his mind.

Rumor had it that although the marriage was a rash decision, His Highness had somehow come to dote on his new consort immensely, even tempering his own temperament in the process.

And that man, of course, was incapable of bearing children!

In Chi Xiu’s mind, his Highness suddenly seemed to be hurtling down the path of a wayward, foolish ruler…

His Highness had always been known for his composure and lack of interest in women, a trait they had once taken pride in, yet who would have thought that the moment he finally got involved with someone, it would lead to such a complication?!

Wait, no!

His Highness was not the sort of man whose resolve was easily shaken or who could be swayed by others.

Therefore, it was highly likely that his Highness’s previous lack of interest in women… wasn’t due to anything else, but simply because he didn’t care for women, or perhaps was physically unable to perform with them.

As for Yi Qingxue, while His Highness claimed to fancy her, he had never treated her even a tenth as well as he treated his new consort. It was surely just a smokescreen.

Chi Xiu felt he had grasped the truth.

A look of anguish crossed his face as he called out emotionally, “Your Highness!”

The exclamation startled Jing Heguang.

Jing Heguang was taken aback, wondering if this was about to turn into a scene where someone threatened to take their own life.

This elderly official was akin to a mentor to the original owner, he certainly couldn’t stand by and let anything happen to Chi Xiu.

Fearing Chi Xiu might impulsively dash his head against a wall, Jing Heguang hurriedly rose and steadied the old man’s trembling arm.

Jing Heguang held him firmly, his tone sounding slightly guilty: “Master Chi.”

Hearing that note of guilt in his voice, Chi Xiu became even more convinced that his guess was correct.

He had lived a long life and knew that some men simply preferred other men.

Moreover, having watched Jing Heguang grow up, Chi Xiu felt a concern that went beyond the bond of ruler and subject, it was the genuine care of an elder.

Yet, the thought that the little royal heir was gone still pained him deeply.

Chi Xiu waved his hand, with reddened eyes and trembling limbs, he sat down. “Your Highness, do not worry, this old subject is fine.”

Jing Heguang assumed Chi Xiu was simply overcome with grief, but his own mind was made up, nothing would change his course of action.

He then turned to the subordinate who had questioned the plan to ‘swap the prince’ and offered an explanation: “There is no need to worry about the Crown Prince being swapped. Nominally, he is the Empress’s legitimate son, with us as his backers, who could possibly stand in his way?”

“My intention is not for you all to lay down your banners and retreat into seclusion. You are men of talent and insight, why not enter the officialdom and realize your ambitions?”

“We are merely lying low for now to conserve our strength and develop steadily. Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, we shall reveal his true origins and let him know the lineage from which he springs.”

The men who had followed the original owner, after years of his guidance and management, were, by and large, decent people. Anyone with a malicious heart or a cunning, opportunistic nature would have long since defected to the current ruler to live the high life.

Of course, they were also highly capable, otherwise, they wouldn’t have helped the original owner rise to the position of imperial brother-in-law.

The Jing family now operated under the guise of a reclusive, ancient clan, yet possessed formidable wealth and significant covert power.

Jing Heguang mused that having them serve as officials would be an excellent idea.

On one hand, it would expand his own influence. On the other hand, it would give them a chance to do real work and connect with the common people.

They certainly wouldn’t turn into corrupt officials, instead, they would bring genuine benefit to the populace.

After rallying their spirits, Jing Heguang delivered a stirring conclusion: “If that dog of an emperor follows in father’s footsteps and ruins the nation through his folly, we need only raise the call to arms and unite our strength. We could shape the world however we pleased! Would that not be a truly magnificent triumph?”

The mere thought of having the world heed their commands was enough to make anyone’s heart race with excitement!

Jing Heguang’s proposal, that they go out into the world to realize their ambitions, truly swayed quite a few of them.

Restoring the dynasty was a noble goal, certainly, but their desire to restore it was also driven by the hope of gaining positions of real influence and trust in the future.

Now that the Master had spoken, he would undoubtedly arrange proper identities for them.

The prospect of walking openly in the world was a massive temptation.

Not to mention, Chi Xiu had also chimed in: “This old subject…shall defer to Your Highness.”

And so, the storm of dissent subsided.

***

After his persuasive speech, Jing Heguang returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained.

It wasn’t physical strength he had expended, but mental energy.

He knew that while some had certainly been swayed, wanting to go out and build their own careers, others were likely still holding back.

Still, having set the tone, the path ahead would be much easier to navigate.

From a pragmatic standpoint, by sending Jing Ya’an into the palace and ensuring Jing Heguang’s eldest nephew became the Crown Prince, they had secured not just the outward appearance of success, but the substance of it as well.

As for the future, it would depend on whether his brother-in-law, the Emperor, could do a good job.

But that was a sure thing. After all, Jing Heguang possessed the memories of the original owner!

With this thought in mind, Jing Heguang smiled as he gazed at Xing Qi’s retreating figure.

His next step? To continue…taking advantage of the situation!

The two steps after that: making contact with the Qin family, and then taking Xing Qi to meet the parents.

***

Back in the room, Jing Heguang had regained his energy. He climbed up to stir up some mischief, wrapping his arms around Xing Qi for a cuddle.

Meanwhile, Chi Xiu was busy dealing with a few individuals who harbored grievances against Xing Qi.

After all, the conclusions Chi Xiu had reached were things others could figure out too, provided they gave the matter enough thought.

So, Chi Xiu clarified the matter: “What kind of person is His Highness? Is he the sort to be easily swayed? His Highness possesses a steadfast mind.”

“Then why has His Highness undergone such a sudden change?”

Chi Xiu asked with a knowing air, “What did His Highness tell us to do?”

“To go out and pursue our ambitions.”

“His Highness wants us to go out, see the world, and observe the common people. His Highness has a truly benevolent heart!”

Chi Xiu was determined to uphold His Highness’s good reputation, he absolutely could not let anyone discover His Highness’s secret.

***

At the end of the month.

After court was dismissed, Jing Heguang sought out Qin Yingbo once more.

Qin Yingbo, forty years of age, was the biological father of Xing Qi.

Jing Heguang ushered him into a teahouse and, upon sitting down, greeted him warmly: “Uncle Qin, the tea brewing today is a fresh batch of Da Hong Pao. Do give it a taste and see if it suits your palate.”

He was as handsome as a jade-carved youth, the tea table was an elegant, dry-bamboo hue, and the purple clay teapot in his hand was exquisite and luxurious.

The sight of him lifting the pot to pour tea held more charm than any painting of a beauty.

Had the young people downstairs seen this, they surely would have been left dumbstruck.

Yet, as he gazed at the strikingly handsome imperial brother-in-law, Qin Yingbo maintained the demeanor of a refined gentleman while feeling deeply vexed inside.

He persisted with his usual refusal: “Imperial brother-in-law, I may be somewhat older, but I am hardly worthy of being addressed as ‘uncle’ by you.”

The Emperor was the imperial brother-in-law’s brother-in-law, for him to be an ‘uncle’? That would be courting death, he had to refuse.

Jing Heguang thought to himself: You certainly are worthy! After all, you’re going to be my father soon.

Jing Heguang smiled and said, “We are associating in private. Why stand on ceremony, uncle Qin? Or do you perhaps look down on me, Heguang?”

Qin Yingbo shook his head and took a small sip of the tea.

After taking a sip of the tea, Qin Yingbo spoke up: “Fine tea! I have enjoyed many excellent teas in my time, but please, Lord imperial brother-in-law, speak plainly. Otherwise, I fear I am too dull-witted to grasp your meaning.”

Having spent nearly a month drinking tea with him, Qin Yingbo decided to break the silence.

He felt that if he didn’t bring it up, Jing Heguang would happily keep up this charade and drag out the tea-drinking sessions for a whole year.

When asked, Jing Heguang chuckled softly and said, “I heard that you, uncle Qin, had a child years ago, one lost amidst the chaos of war. I believe I may have found him.”

Author’s Note: Heguang (looking guileless and honest): It simply means you’re about to gain a son.

P.S.: The court scenes are intentionally silly and a bit absurd. Writing them ‘normally’ would make the story far too long.