Chapter 510: Chapter 510: Royal Flying Eagle

Going to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to perform rites is a significant event, and the ceremony is quite complex. The Ministry of Rites received the preparation notice yesterday afternoon. Although it was somewhat rushed, fortunately, there were precedents to follow for all the ceremonial procedures.

Moreover, the officials of the Ministry of Rites understood the importance of this matter deeply, and they began preparations almost without rest, so everything was busy yet orderly!

As the Emperor was preparing to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and before getting into the carriage, the Right Minister, Xia Shi’en, handed over an urgent message that had come from eight hundred miles away.

Since it was an urgent message from eight hundred miles, the Emperor accepted it.

Xia Shi’en had examined the letter, and upon seeing it, the Emperor frowned slightly.

The urgent letter from Yunzhou was not a military report but a petition from Huangfu Yi, Prince Cheng. The words in the letter were full of grief and anger; it was said that his eldest son had died in the Capital City, and he earnestly requested the Emperor’s decree to allow him to return to the capital to collect his son’s remains for burial in Yunzhou!

The Emperor was furious and cursed, "Disobedient son!"

Prince Cheng’s Heir is the Imperial Grandson, and there is already a place for the Imperial Grandson’s burial. What does he mean by returning to Yunzhou for burial? Is Yunzhou a family burial ground?

Is he planning never to return to the capital?

How did he raise such worrisome sons? It infuriates him.

Originally, the people he dispatched yesterday brought back the news that Prince Cheng and his wife were not in the Capital City at all. In fact, his agents even secretly interrogated the servants of Prince Zhuang Mansion. Those who claimed they had seen them did so just for the reward, but actually, not a single person saw them.

This means that the matter of Prince Cheng and his wife returning to the capital without an edict was entirely fabricated by Prince Zhuang alone.

Prince Zhuang even swore he had seen them with his own eyes, almost making him believe it was true.

Now it seems, it was all false.

What Kong Chan claimed as the mandate of heaven is false, as Kong Chan has not seen him for the past two years and had not met him before either.

He stated that Old Fifth’s unauthorized entry into the capital was also false, just a way to absolve himself.

If Old Fifth really dared to enter the capital without an edict, would he have written this letter? The letter’s wording was intense, and he took no soft tone with him as a father, clearly very aggrieved by his son’s death. Yet, he begged more than he expressed dissatisfaction, maintaining the basic etiquette of a subject.

This letter also shows that Old Fifth is aware of propriety.

To secure his position as Crown Prince, he committed violence in the streets, staining the capital city, under the Emperor’s feet, with blood; he murdered his own nephew, disregarding human ethics; and repeatedly deceived the Emperor.

What audacity!

Compared to Prince Zhuang’s audacious recklessness, Prince Cheng’s harsh words seem less unacceptable.

Seeing the Emperor about to board the imperial carriage, Xia Shi’en hurriedly asked, "Emperor, how should we respond to this matter?"

In a fit of rage, the Emperor furiously said, "Send the Royal Flying Eagle to transmit my message, commanding Prince Cheng to set out immediately and roll into the capital at once!"

The Royal Flying Eagle is a rare type of bird trained in the past two years for delivering messages. It is robust, enduring, and far superior to pigeons. There is only one in the entire Imperial Palace and it is extremely valuable.

From the Capital City to Yunzhou, the Royal Flying Eagle’s flying speed can cover the distance in no more than two days.

The Emperor is truly enraged, to the extent that he wants to use the Royal Flying Eagle to transmit a decree to summon someone to the capital.

Xia Shi’en’s mouth twitched, but he dared not advise otherwise, and promptly went to carry out the order.

Meanwhile, the Emperor boarded the imperial carriage, his expression still severely grim.

He still could not ascertain whether Old Third lied; after all, Old Third’s two sons have met with an unfortunate fate: one was severely beaten, and another is missing.

This lawlessness slightly resembles Old Fifth’s heedless and reckless nature.

He had already sent people to look for Huangfu Wei. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

After all, it’s Old Third’s legitimate son, and such a sudden disappearance demands to see either the living or the dead!

Although he has many imperial grandsons, Old Third’s legitimate son had once been considered the Imperial Grandson by him. Over the past year, he called upon him frequently and had somewhat developed feelings.

Moreover, since Old Third has already lost one son, this legitimate son cannot meet with misfortune.

Yet, a whole day has passed without any news, still uncertain whether Huangfu Wei is alive or dead now.

The Emperor closed his eyes, reflecting on his age; in the first half of his life, the dynasty was stable. Could it be that in the latter half, because of the Crown Prince, the state of governance will become turbulent?

The people keeping an eye on Old Fifth must remain vigilant; it is possible he might arrive in the Capital City shortly after issuing the order.

If Old Fifth really dared to do such a thing, he would settle the old accounts from twenty years ago with him!

The Emperor’s brow knotted tightly.

Among his sons, Old Nine, Prince Li, is his favorite, though he holds the Ningzhou fealty, he mostly stays in the Capital.

He once placed the greatest hopes on Old First, being his legitimate eldest son and having been named Crown Prince since early childhood. Unfortunately, Old First did not live up to expectations.

The one he pitied the most was Old Second, who was intelligent and lively in his childhood but died at less than ten years old in palace intrigues because his mother passed away early and he was too outstanding. In a fury, he had the concubine who harmed Old Second bestowed with white silk and her entire family executed, but that brilliant son could not be brought back.

As for Old Fourth, Prince Lu, and Old Sixth, Prince Xin, with so many sons, such unremarkable and nondisruptive ones left no particular impression either.

However, Old Fifth truly infuriates him to the point of rage, frustrating him to the verge of spitting blood, and making him grit his teeth in hatred, yet he is helplessly indulgent towards this reckless son.

Back in those days when this son was in the Capital City, he acted quite prominently, but in his teenage years, when the great Generals in the Capital turned pale at the mention of battle and everyone was wary, he spent two years driving out the Dragon Nest Tribe, known for raiding the borders and reputedly consuming human flesh, thus liberating border town civilians from wartimes of woe. Upon returning to the city, all the glory was his alone.

With such accomplishments, he could have been awarded honors abundantly, yet for wanting to marry a woman from Jianghu, he created a public uproar.

That’s not all; his courage bordered on the reckless as he stood defiantly against him in court, narrowly escaping execution at the Meridian Gate due to the Emperor’s anger. Through the pleas of ministers and considering the merit in quelling Dragon Nest and securing the frontier, he barely escaped death.

Appointed as Prince Cheng, he was sent to the most remote, desolate, and impoverished area in Yunzhou, a move intended to force him to plead. Instead, he took root there, intending to transfer his son’s remains for burial there as well.

Look at that, does that sound reasonable?

It seems he, as the father, has been too lenient. A cold light flashed in the Emperor’s eyes!

Huangfu Yuxuan did indeed use his connections to secure two low-ranking military officer positions.

Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin, unable to refuse the favor, happily accepted the appointments.

Huangfu Yuxuan, after being beaten by Xia Wenjin, didn’t tell Xia Wanqing about it. One must handle their own woman personally; that night was dark, and the confrontation happened suddenly in a secluded alley. Xia Wenjin, versed in Jianghu, acted as per usual caution; such a reaction was understandable.

Next, it was time for him to tame this small woman.

He had originally secured a higher-ranking martial officer position for Xia Wanqing.

But Xia Wanqing did not accept it.