The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 209 Bold and Outspoken (Full Text)

Tu Chengyu, with Xiao Xuanzi in tow, left the palace gates to meet up with Lao Yao and the other guards, and then headed towards the small courtyard outside the palace.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Quan Wenwei and his men were already waiting at the gate, as someone had been sent over to give prior notice.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries at the entrance, Tu Chengyu entered the courtyard accompanied by Quan Wenwei.

Because of his trip out of Beijing, Tu Chengyu hadn't been here for half a year.

So as soon as he entered, he enthusiastically looked around his yard.

This observation led him to discover something different.

Tu Chengyu asked uncertainly, "Mr. Quan, why do I feel that the courtyard is somewhat different from before?"

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's words, Quan Wenwei quickly said, "Your Highness, this is exactly what I was about to say. During the time Your Highness was away from the capital, the courtyard underwent renovations, so it looks quite different now."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu's face fell, and he asked, "Why was no one informed of the courtyard renovations?"

Tu Chengyu thought to himself, "Could it be that someone is acting recklessly and messing around in my yard?"

Seeing the change in Tu Chengyu's expression, Quan Wenwei remained calm and slowly explained:
“Your Highness, when I first arrived, I thought it was a servant who didn’t know the rules and renovated the courtyard on his own. So I asked around and found out that the renovation was ordered by the Emperor Emeritus.”

"Grandfather?" Tu Chengyu said in surprise, "How could he possibly concern himself with such a trivial matter?"

Quan Wenwei said, "The student was puzzled at first, but after thinking about it, he understood the reason. Your Highness, you should still remember that this courtyard was bestowed upon you by the Emperor Emeritus. However, it was not transferred to your name at the time, so in essence, this courtyard still belongs to the Emperor Emeritus."

Hearing him say that, Tu Chengyu remembered that there was such a thing.

However, he still had some questions, so he asked, "Although the courtyard belongs to the retired emperor, he wouldn't have the time to think about renovating it for me, would he?"

Who was the retired emperor? He was a man who had been emperor for twenty years and was concerned about the affairs of the world.

Even now that he has abdicated, he wouldn't take such a trivial matter as renovating the courtyard to heart, let alone specifically order someone to do so.

Tu Chengyu is now worried that someone might try to sabotage things by impersonating the retired emperor.

It should be noted that the retired emperor has not appeared in public for more than a year, and someone is using his name to do such trivial things.

It wouldn't easily reach the ears of the retired emperor, and even if others heard it and had doubts, they wouldn't dare to rush to the retired emperor to ask questions.

Therefore, if there are bold enough people, they might actually do such a thing.

Quan Wenwei has been following Tu Chengyu for almost a year and knows Tu Chengyu's personality to some extent.

Seeing Tu Chengyu slow down and look thoughtful, one could tell that his suspicious nature had struck again.

So he replied, "Your Highness need not worry. I have inquired and found that the person who spoke to you at the Ministry of Works is Chief Eunuch Dai, who is close to the Emperor Emeritus."

Hearing that it was Dai Quan who stepped forward, Tu Chengyu felt relieved.

He said with a smile, "I never expected that my grandfather, while recuperating in the Eastern Palace, would still think of my courtyard."

Quan Wenwei replied with a smile, "I think this is the Emperor Emeritus's favor to Your Highness. Now everyone in the capital knows that among all the princes in the court, Your Highness is the Emperor Emeritus's favorite."

"Oh, people in the capital still know about this?"

Tu Chengyu naturally knew that among all his grandsons, he was the most favored.

Unexpectedly, this matter has spread outside the palace.

Quan Wenwei replied, "It's not just that. The fact that the prince is the emperor's most favored son is now the whole capital."

In the short time it took to exchange just a few words, the two had already entered the courtyard and arrived at the entrance to the study in the central courtyard.

So after hearing Quan Wenwei's words, Tu Chengyu didn't say anything more and went into the study first.

After Quan Wenwei came in and sent the people following behind him away, Tu Chengyu asked:
"What do you mean by the whole capital you're talking about?"

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's words, Quan Wenwei also stopped smiling and said solemnly:

"Has Your Highness also noticed something amiss?"

Tu Chengyu nodded and said, "I am favored by the Emperor Emeritus. Only people in the palace know this. Even if the court officials outside know, there is no need for them to talk about it. How did it become known to the people of the capital for no reason?"

"Furthermore, how did I become Father Emperor's most favored prince? Not only is the Crown Prince ahead of me, but my second brother and the others are also involved in official duties. This news is rather inexplicable."

Quan Wenwei said, "The students thought the same thing and noticed something was wrong, so they sent someone to inquire about it as well."

Only after inquiring did they learn that these rumors had spread after the prince returned to the capital, and within just a few days, they had become the talk of the entire city.

It's surprising that such rumors only started after Tu Chengyu returned to Beijing, and that they spread throughout the capital so quickly. This suggests that someone must be behind this.

Knowing it was deliberate, Tu Chengyu was displeased. He said with a stern face:
"What are the rumors circulating in the capital saying about me?"

Quan Wenwei said, "According to the information the students have heard, there is a rumor that it was caused by the Emperor Emeritus sending people to renovate the Prince's courtyard. It is said that the Emperor Emeritus cares about such a small matter, which is unique among all the imperial grandsons. It can be seen how much he favors the Prince."

If the rumors stemmed from this incident, then they aren't too far-fetched.

So after listening, Tu Chengyu didn't say anything and quietly waited for Quan Wenwei to continue.

Quan Wenwei didn't stop, and continued:
"The second piece of news was caused by the Prince's trip to Jiangnan. It is said that the Prince is the first prince sent out to do practical work since the Emperor ascended the throne, even earlier than the Crown Prince."

So these people gossiped privately, saying that the prince was the emperor's most favored son, and if it weren't for the crown prince holding the eldest son's position, the prince might have already changed places.

When Quan Wenwei said this, his voice became softer and his tone slowed down, and he carefully considered every word.

After hearing this, Tu Chengyu felt as if a thunderclap had struck his ears.

"What? Someone actually dares to spread such rumors? Aren't they afraid of losing their head?"

This news is like putting Tu Chengyu on the hot seat; I wonder what the Crown Prince will think when he hears this.

In the past, Tu Chengyu could have confidently said that, based on his understanding of the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince wouldn't take such a small matter to heart.

However, the changes that have occurred in the Crown Prince have made Tu Chengyu lose that confidence, and he is not sure how the Crown Prince will react when he hears this news.

If these rumors cause the Crown Prince to develop a grudge against him, it would be a huge loss.

At this moment, Tu Chengyu wished he could drag the person who fabricated this rumor out and cut them into a thousand pieces. Quan Wenwei said, "Those who say these things are just ordinary people, and the government can't blame them even if they want to. But such words must have been spread in secret, otherwise how would the people think of this?"

Tu Chengyu said with a stern face, "I think so too. It seems that someone has harbored ill intentions towards me and wants to harm the king."

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's words, Quan Wenwei sighed and said, "Your Highness, I am not worried that anyone will harbor ill intentions towards you. What I am worried about is that someone might try to use this matter to drag Your Highness into the conflict between the Crown Prince and Prince Xing."

Tu Chengyu frowned and said, "So, the person who fabricated these rumors has big ambitions."

Quan Wenwei nodded and said, "That's what I think too. The fact that Prince Xing came out to compete with the Crown Prince has already caused the beginnings of factional strife in the court. If the Prince is also involved, the court will probably fall into chaos again."

The person behind this is probably trying to create chaos in the court so they can profit from it.

After listening to Quan Wenwei's analysis, Tu Chengyu asked, "In Mr. Quan's opinion, who will benefit from the chaos in the court?"

Quan Wenwei shook his head and said, "Your Highness asked such a question, but I don't know how to answer it. Judging from the current situation, if the court is in chaos, there will be many people who will benefit."

This is why the people behind the scheme dared to spread these messages so openly in the capital without worrying about being easily exposed.

Tu Chengyu thought to himself that Quan Wenwei was right; the court was in chaos, and many people would indeed benefit from it.

At least in Tu Chengyu's mind, several people immediately came to mind.

However, Tu Chengyu wanted to hear Quan Wenwei's opinion to see if there were any people he hadn't thought of.

So he asked, "Then tell me, who will benefit?"

Quan Wenwei thought for a moment and said, "Judging from the current situation, there aren't many people I can think of, but the Crown Prince and Prince Xing must be among them."

Tu Chengyu had thought of the Prince of Xing, but he was somewhat surprised to see the name of the Crown Prince appear.

In Tu Chengyu's mind, the rumors about him must have threatened the Crown Prince's position, so the Crown Prince should be the one who was hurt by the rumors, not the one who would benefit from them.

So Tu Chengyu interrupted Quan Wenwei, frowning as he said:

"Mr. Quan, why did you think of the Crown Prince?"

Quan Wenwei said, "On the surface, the Crown Prince is the one who is threatened, but in reality, if the Prince really gets involved in the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Xing, as rumored, it will be a real threat."

As long as the crown prince does not commit any serious mistakes, the emperor will definitely protect him, which will actually help the crown prince consolidate his position.

Therefore, the Crown Prince cannot escape suspicion given that such news could be leaked.

Quan Wenwei's words were undeniably bold.

He knew about Tu Chengyu's relationship with the Crown Prince; they were brothers born of the same mother and had a very close relationship in the past.

If Quan Wenwei says anything wrong, it could very well provoke Tu Chengyu's dissatisfaction, who might think that Quan Wenwei is trying to sow discord between the princes.

However, Quan Wenwei also knew that as a staff member, he had to explain all the possible situations clearly.

Otherwise, when Tu Chengyu thinks things through later, he will also be dissatisfied and may think that Tu Chengyu is incompetent or outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant.

That's why Quan Wenwei mustered up his courage and voiced his doubts about the Crown Prince. However, he wasn't stupid, and he added a final sentence:
"However, in the students' view, the Crown Prince is the least likely to allow such rumors to spread."

After listening, Tu Chengyu nodded noncommittally, offering no further comment on the remarks, but simply said:
"Go on, who else is a suspect?"

Quan Wenwei continued, "The other princes, as well as the noble families in the capital, cannot be ruled out as suspects."

None of this was beyond Tu Chengyu's expectations, and he simply listened calmly.

After Quan Wenwei finished speaking, Tu Chengyu asked if there were any other people besides these.

Upon hearing this, Quan Wenwei opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but in the end he kept his mouth shut.

Looking at his expression, Tu Chengyu knew that he probably still had someone in mind, but he was hesitant to say it.

Tu Chengyu came here today to have Quan Wenwei help him analyze the situation in the capital, to see if there were any aspects he had overlooked, and then to fill in the gaps and help him make decisions.

Therefore, he naturally hoped that Quan Wenwei would explain everything clearly and not hide anything.

So he said, “Mr. Quan, you don’t need to worry about anything, just say it. Even if there is anything wrong, I will not pursue it today.”

Although Tu Chengyu made such a promise, Quan Wenwei still seemed uneasy. He pointed upwards and said:
"Your Highness, what I am thinking may be considered highly disrespectful. I wonder if I may speak it?"

Seeing Quan Wenwei's actions and hearing his words, Tu Chengyu knew who he was talking about.

That would indeed be extremely disrespectful.

At this moment, Tu Chengyu was also somewhat hesitant. He didn't know whether he should let Quan Wenwei tell these things.

If he were to speak, he feared that Quan Wenwei might actually say something treasonous, and he would have to decide what to do then.

If I hadn't told him, wouldn't my trip to see Quan Wenwei today have been for nothing?

After thinking for a long time, Tu Chengyu finally gritted his teeth and said:

"Feel free to speak your mind; I will not hold it against you."

With this guarantee, Quan Wenwei finally felt at ease.

However, he also knew that if even a single word of what he was about to say were leaked, not only would he, as a staff member by the prince's side, be in big trouble, but Prince Su himself would also be in serious trouble.

So, without being told by Tu Chengyu, he got up and moved closer to Tu Chengyu, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Your Highness, His Majesty and the Emperor Emeritus also benefit from these rumors about you."

Although Tu Chengyu had anticipated that Quan Wenwei would say something shocking.

But now that he has said it, Tu Chengyu is terrified and even more shocked than he expected.

He had initially thought Quan Wenwei was referring to the Emperor, but now he realized that the Emperor Emeritus had also been mentioned.

This was truly an audacious and astonishing statement. Upon hearing it, Tu Chengyu couldn't help but want to rebuke Quan Wenwei and tell him to stop talking.

But thinking of his earlier promise, Tu Chengyu could only suppress his thoughts and want to hear Quan Wenwei's specific ideas.

(End of this chapter)