Chapter 605: Coercion Is Inferior to Gratitude and Affection

Zhu Zhan Tan, the legitimate eldest son of the King of Han, died of illness. His legitimate second son, Zhu Zhan Qi, was confined to the Western Garden. After being beaten, he was barely alive. To King Zhu Gaoxu of Han, this was merely a trivial matter. Yet for the officials, advisors in the King’s household, and those with ulterior motives, it meant that even if King Zhu Gaoxu could overcome all obstacles to seize the throne, his successor remained uncertain. In his free time, even Mei Qing would often ponder which of the concubine-born sons was most likely to become the future heir.

Due to their inferior status by birth, King Zhu Gaoxu’s guards included a few brave warriors but few scholars. Although Mei Qing was confident in his intelligence, he took even greater pride in his position as a deputy commander, whose martial skills were highly regarded by Zhu Gaoxu. Since he arrived in the capital to handle affairs, everyone left behind by the King obeyed him unquestioningly, as no one dared to offend this trusted confidant of Zhu Gaoxu.

Though Mei Qing could be considered King Zhu Gaoxu’s top confidant, his ambitions in the capital were enormous. Considering that it was nearly impossible to place agents in the Jinyiwei or Dongchang at the moment, and to avoid accidents, he avoided showing up at the King’s residence unless he had to handle matters personally. He let his four assigned guards handle everything else. After the incident involving Princess Yongping, he became even more cautious, hiding in a civilian residence east of Shichahai.

Yet now, after days with no visitors, he found someone in his study. Staring at the submissive eunuch Han for a long time, he sneered, “Princess Yongping is still confined to her palace and not allowed to leave. As an envoy from her palace, you still managed to find me at this time—quite an impressive skill! Has your old master’s misfortune prompted you to seek a new patron?”

The eunuch Han had struggled greatly to secure a reprieve through his old connections. Even if he wouldn’t be implicated as an envoy from the princess’s palace, his future would be ruined. As a eunuch without a patron, he would be at the mercy of others—something he was unwilling to accept. Realizing this was his last chance, despite Mei Qing’s icy attitude, he remained extremely respectful.

“If only the princess would heed even a fraction of my advice, I would never have come to see my lord at such a time. It’s not that I’m slandering my former master behind his back—this Marquis of Fuyang is nothing but a good-for-nothing like Liu A’dou. Yet the princess still risks sending messages to the palace for him, only for him to refuse to endure even the slightest hardship and end up losing his life. The Duke of Jing still has several illegitimate sons; if the princess were someone who aimed for great things, she could simply choose one of them as heir, and he would still provide support the next day. Setting all that aside for now, hasn’t my lord considered that with the princess having such close ties to the King of Han and the Prince of Zhao, and now that her beloved son is dead, she herself might never see the light of day? If she truly goes mad and commits some irreparable act…”

Mei Qing’s expression remained unchanged, but he was deeply alarmed inside. The King of Han, Zhu Gaoxu, and Princess Yongping were only half-brother and sister; their closeness paled in comparison to that of the two princesses born to Empress Xu. Yet those two princesses were decent and loyal, close to the crown prince, and too young to match Princess Yongping’s scheming. As a result, many affairs in the capital were handled by her. It hadn’t mattered before, but now it was indeed a very serious concern.

“Princess Yongping is the younger sister of the King of Han—how could she do something foolish at such a critical moment? Stop spreading fear!”

After scolding her like that and seeing Eunuch Han still bowing his head, he realized that though this eunuch was a scoundrel, he was far from an ordinary courtier. After pondering for a long time, he said indifferently, “Since you still show some intelligence, I won’t hold you accountable for today’s incident. Go back and serve the princess well. Many people have been blamed in the emperor’s anger, yet haven’t there also been many who were forgiven later? Besides, the princess has a different status after all…”

Hearing Mei Qing speak carelessly about irrelevant matters, Eunuch Han knew that his earlier words had finally worked. Yet he was even more aware that this warning was at most a minor contribution. If the other party wished, they could even kill him to eliminate any future threats after dealing with Princess Yongping. So, he gritted his teeth and immediately knelt down.

“My lord, I still have matters to report. Aside from the nurse Mother Zhao and the other two trusted nurses, I am in charge of all matters related to the princess’s confidential affairs that involve outsiders. For example, a while ago, because Fangling, the palace tutor to the crown prince, was dismissed for some reason, the princess specifically asked me to meet with him and promised him many benefits. After all, that matter could be resolved with some effort, and once he returned to the crown prince’s side, he would be able to keep abreast of everything in the Eastern Palace. This man is a son of a prominent family who naturally aspires to rise to power, and he is an old friend of Zhang Yue…”
“Are you saying he’s already interested?”
Mei Qing originally thought Eunuch Han would at most nag for some benefits, but after hearing the last few words, he quickly snapped back to reality. What concerned him wasn’t the relationship between Fangling and Zhang Yue; it was that the man used to belong to the Eastern Palace! The King of Han once had some spies in the Eastern Palace, but due to being barred from entering the capital for years, most of them were now useless, and the few remaining were no longer trustworthy. If they could gain another person close to Zhu Zhanji, that would certainly be a significant advancement.
Weighing the pros and cons, he immediately set aside his earlier plans. Promising to protect Eunuch Han and secure him a better position, he ordered that he be sent away. Once the man left, he returned to his chair behind the desk. Though he held a pen in his hand, his left hand idly played with the inkstone.
Although this birthday celebration saw the submission of envoys from foreign lands and officials congratulating the emperor, making it as grand and lively as Zhu Di’s 60th birthday, those with connections to the King of Han’s mansion reported that the emperor’s health was far worse than before. As long as the emperor was alive, the King of Han had no chance, but if the emperor died… wasn’t this the moment the King of Han had been waiting for?
“My lord, Lord Fang has arrived!”
A sudden voice from outside interrupted Mei Qing’s thoughts. Frowning in displeasure, he sneered contemptuously, “It’s just because the late crown prince secured him a position in the royal mansion—what kind of ‘my lord’ is that?” He initially wanted to simply say he wouldn’t see him, but after pondering for a moment, he decided to spare the time to meet the man, hear what he had to say, and give this ignorant fool a lesson. So, he raised his voice to give an order, then went on to write a few words on the paper.
Soon, the door to the study was pushed open.

Because the room was airtight, as soon as Fang Rui stepped through the threshold, he felt a wave of heat hitting him, making his already sweaty forehead even wetter. Seeing that Mei Qing didn’t even lift his head, he had no choice but to close the door behind him, suppressing his irritation as he stepped forward to bow. Yet still, he received no response from the other party, so he could only clear his throat.

“My lord, Princess Yongping has caused trouble now, and it’s hard to say what consequences might arise. It would be better to prepare in advance. Years ago, the Crown Prince once said that Princess Yongping is reckless and must be used with caution. Now is the time to act decisively and seize control of her forces…”

“Enough! You don’t need to teach me these things!”

Hearing Fang Rui keep bringing up Zhu Zhan Tan as a rival, Mei Qing grew increasingly annoyed. Without caring about maintaining his pretense, he put down his pen, raised his head, and his face was filled with disgust.

“The Crown Prince got lost down the wrong path, spending too much energy on such schemes, which led to his early death. Your complicated tactics are even worse than those of the Crown Prince—stop trying to show off your schemes in front of me! The position in the prince’s household was obtained for you by the Crown Prince, but with just one word from me, you’ll have to go back and be an ordinary citizen! Stay put and be honest. If your recklessness exposes my whereabouts… well, don’t blame me if I’m ruthless!”

Ever since Zhu Zhan Qi had had his title revoked and been imprisoned, and Mei Qing entered the capital, Fang Rui had felt a deep sense of crisis. Hearing these blunt words now filled him with rage. But not only had Mei Qing served King Han Zhu Gaoxu for many years as a trusted confidant, he also had resources at his disposal that Fang Rui, who had no backing, could never match. After enduring it further, Fang Rui could only lower his head.

“Schemes may indeed not be as good as open actions, but right now, King Han lacks strategic vision, so schemes are absolutely essential! Since the situation beyond the borders remains unclear, the emperor still harbors ambitions to launch a northern campaign. Previously, our household focused solely on military leaders, which was appropriate, but I think that whenever the emperor goes on a northern campaign, the two scholars Yang Rong and Jin Youzi accompany him, handling all military affairs—almost as favored as the Duke of Ying. We should consider securing control over them at critical moments. Also, great effort must be put into the emperor’s personal attendants.”

“I’ve already said it once; I don’t want to say it a second time!” Mei Qing was extremely impatient and spoke bluntly, “I’m very busy and have no time to listen to your opinions. Major decisions should naturally be made by the King of Han—there’s no need for you to interfere!”
Seeing Mei Qing’s outright refusal to listen, Fang Rui was filled with rage. Without even bothering with proper etiquette, he turned and walked away. Just as he pushed open the door, Mei Qing’s cold voice came from behind him.
“I don’t care whether the former crown prince truly trusted you or thought your background was useful. But the crown prince is the crown prince, and I am me! You’re a relative of the Duke of Ying, yet your younger brother is still being raised and taken care of by others. You turn a blind eye and show no concern. With such character, how can anyone trust you?
Your brother is about to take the provincial exams in Shuntian Prefecture. Everything he has today is thanks to the kindness of the Duke of Ying’s family and the Zhang family. If you truly want to help the King of Han, you’d better think about how to improve relations with the Zhang family. The crown prince made so many arrangements before leaving, but they were all calculated strategies, without considering people’s feelings. What kind of hero is the Duke of Ying, to be trapped by schemes and underhanded tactics? Those who pursue great goals should move people with emotion, convince them with reason, attract them with benefits, and threaten them when necessary. To forget the first three and focus only on the last two is to put the cart before the horse! To win over the Duke of Ying, coercion doesn’t work—gratitude and affection are the right approach!”