The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 44 Father and Son Talk in the Imperial Camp

Leaving aside the nobles in the capital who were busy conspiring, and the Jia family's scheming.

Take Tu Chengyu for example. He led Dong Da and his entourage out of the west gate of the capital and rode horses along the official road for more than twenty miles before finally arriving at the imperial camp where the emperor was stationed.

Once the emperor leaves the palace, security is even tighter than when he is inside. Even Prince Tu Chengyu now has to have his identity checked and be notified before he can enter.

Once the camp was established, guards were stationed every five steps and sentries every ten steps. The troops were lined up in rows, and the barracks were connected and interlocked, providing tight protection for the emperor's tent in the very center.

Once inside the Imperial Camp, Dong Da and his men could no longer go in; they were led elsewhere by the Imperial Camp soldiers guarding the camp gate.

Tu Chengyu was taken to the imperial tent by the golden-armored guards of the Imperial Guard.

Upon arriving at the imperial tent, Tu Chengyu was allowed to enter after being announced once more.

Upon entering the imperial tent, Tu Chengyu saw his father bowing his head at the imperial table, flipping through a mountain of memorials.

When the old man heard Tu Chengyu's footsteps, he just looked up and said, "Sit down and wait for a while."

After saying that, he buried his head in reading the memorial again.

That's what it's like to be an emperor; you have to handle all the affairs of the world and there's always something to do.

Tu Chengyu had no idea how long it had been since his father had had a proper rest. As far as he knew, his father was like a wound-up alarm clock, busy from the moment he woke up until very late before going to sleep, never having a moment's rest in between.

Seeing his father so busy, Tu Chengyu could only remain silent and sit on the small round stool below to wait.

After an unknown amount of time, half of the memorials in front of the old man were visibly reduced. At this moment, the old man seemed to be tired, so he stood up, stretched, and moved around a bit.

Then the emperor saw Tu Chengyu sitting obediently. He seemed to have forgotten that he had spoken to Tu Chengyu before, so he asked, "Little Wu is here. When did you come in?"

Tu Chengyu guessed that his father was really too busy to think straight, so he didn't say much. He stood up to greet him and said, "Your Majesty, I just arrived."

The emperor stretched his back to ease his fatigue, then slowly walked over and asked Tu Chengyu, "How did you feel about visiting Jia Jing at the Qin family today?"

Tu Chengyu replied, "Your Majesty, I think Jia Jing is like a poisonous snake, cunning and treacherous."

The emperor added, "Not only that, he is also very bold."

Tu Chengyu didn't notice this, and he looked at the emperor with a puzzled expression.

The emperor explained, "Hmph, he dared to use you as a pawn, setting up a scheme to test me. Don't you think that man is incredibly audacious!"

Tu Chengyu asked thoughtfully, "Father, Jia Jing sent his son to act in a play just to test you?"

The emperor nodded and said, "That's right. He used the promise of helping me deal with the Marquis of Dingyuan as bait to lure you into the trap, and then used it to test whether my promise to the Jia family was true."

Tu Chengyu asked, "Can he find out Father's true attitude this way?"

The emperor said, "Actually, there's no need for him to probe; he can tell my attitude. It's just that this man has spent his life trying to probe, manipulate, and play with people's hearts. This has become a habit for him over the years, and he can't help but act on it when faced with a situation."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu said, "Human hearts are so fickle, how can one truly probe them?"

The Emperor said, “Indeed, people’s hearts are so fickle, yet Jia Jing always thinks that what he has discovered is what others truly think. He has already failed once for this, causing the deaths of countless people, yet he remains stubbornly unrepentant. I dare say that if Jia Jing continues to act in this way, the two Jia families will surely suffer a great calamity because of him.”

Tu Chengyu was secretly delighted after hearing this. It seemed that Jia Jing's test of his father had angered him, otherwise he wouldn't have uttered such harsh words.

The emperor continued, “Jia Jing is audacious and reckless, and you are a fool. Do you know that you are a prince, of noble status, and should understand the principle that a prince should not sit under a dangerous roof? How could you be deceived by Jia Jing’s few words and do such a dangerous thing yourself?”

Tu Chengyu said with a smile, "Father, I didn't think too much about it at the time. Jia Jing said it would help you, so I did it. I didn't care about the consequences. Besides, I have so many palace guards around me. A few street thugs can't do anything to me."

Hearing Tu Chengyu say this, the emperor was very pleased. He patted Tu Chengyu's head and said, "Even if there is no danger, you should not do these things in the future. How can a prince do such trivial things personally? You must learn to order your subordinates around."

Hearing the emperor's words of concern, Tu Chengyu obediently replied, "Father, I understand. I will be more careful in the future."

The Emperor said, "Good to know. There's one more thing. Did you find out anything about the Qin family when you went there today?" Hearing his father ask about the Qin family, Tu Chengyu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked a question: "Father, you sent me to the Qin family specifically to find out information about Qin Ye's daughter?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually, it was your grandfather who heard that the girl from the Qin family was to be betrothed to the Jia family, which is why he sent me to inquire about the Qin family."

In truth, the Emperor didn't reveal the Emperor's true intentions regarding the Retired Emperor. The Retired Emperor had plenty of men to gather information; why would he entrust this task to the Emperor? His purpose was simply to convey to the Emperor the importance of the Qin family's daughter. This could be seen as the Retired Emperor indirectly acknowledging Qin Keqing's identity.

The emperor didn't say the deeper meaning, but Tu Chengyu understood it. He replied, "Father, when I went there today, the Jia family came to the Qin family to propose marriage."

The emperor did not inquire about the betrothal, which clearly indicated that he knew about it beforehand. He asked, "Xiao Wu, you went to the Qin family in person but did not see Jia Jing, their grandson. In your opinion, is the Jia family a good match for the Qin family?"

Tu Chengyu shook his head and said, "Father, I have seen Jia Jing's grandson, Jia Rong. I feel that he is all show and no substance. For the Qin family's daughter, the Jia family is not only not a good match, but a pit of fire."

These words surprised the emperor, who asked, "Why do you say that, Xiao Wu? Is there something unknown about the Jia family's East Mansion?"

Tu Chengyu didn't really know much about the Jia family. He had only seen it on TV and knew that when Qin Keqing went to the Jia family, she was like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

He thought for a moment and said, “Father, I have heard that Jia Jing’s son, Jia Zhen, is a lecherous man with boundless audacity. And coincidentally, the Qin family’s daughter is a rare beauty in this world.”

Tu Chengyu didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: he was telling the emperor that Jia Zhen might do something that violated human ethics.

Upon hearing this, the emperor looked at Tu Chengyu with a strange expression. What kind of ten-year-old child could say such a thing? However, the emperor knew that his son had always been like this since he was a child, so he was not surprised.

The emperor said, "With the imperial family above and Jia Jing below looking after him, I don't believe Jia Zhen would dare to do such a thing."

Tu Chengyu said, “Father, the Qin family daughter’s background is a secret. Jia Zhen may not know it, and Jia Jing is always hiding in the Taoist temple outside the city. We can’t count on him. Besides, since Father and the Emperor Emeritus have the ability to change the Qin family daughter’s fate, why do you insist on letting her marry into the Jia family and using the Qin family daughter’s later life to test the character of Jia Zhen, who is blinded by lust? Doesn’t that contradict what Father just said about a daughter of a wealthy family not sitting under a dangerous roof?”

The emperor thought it made sense. Since he knew Jia Zhen was so despicable, he decided not to arrange a marriage with his family. As for the betrothal already made by the two families, it was a minor matter for the imperial family.

The emperor looked at Tu Chengyu with satisfaction and said, "I am very pleased that you have considered things so carefully."

Tu Chengyu said apologetically, "I was just talking nonsense. I hope it won't interfere with Father's important matters."

The emperor said, "Are you afraid that if you ruin this marriage, the Jia family will hold a grudge against me and won't serve me properly? They don't have that guts. Apart from Jia Jing, the rest of the Jia family's two households are not even good guard dogs. It is already a favor that I have made them serve me. Do they dare to have any other thoughts?"

Tu Chengyu asked curiously, "Since the Jia family is so unsuitable, why did Father Emperor accept them?"

The Emperor said, "Even a broken ship has three thousand nails. The Jia family still has some protégés and former generals in the army. Taking the Jia family under our control will greatly benefit the subjugation of the capital garrison. Most importantly, Jia Jing was able to persuade the two Shi brothers, which is what I value most."

Tu Chengyu became even more curious and asked, "Father, is this Shi family really that important?"

The emperor explained, "The Shi family were founding heroes, from a scholarly family. They were both nobles and civil officials, and they had influence throughout the court. Most importantly, the two Shi brothers were pragmatic and capable. Once we win them over, they can accomplish great things."

Tu Chengyu then realized that his father's true intentions were not what they seemed. If Jia Jing knew what the emperor was thinking, would he feel that he was doing all the work for someone else?

The father and son chatted for a few more minutes before the emperor asked Tu Chengyu to leave first. Tu Chengyu rubbed his dry eyes and continued to review the memorials.

Tu Chengyu watched his father rub his eyes and asked, "Father, have you been doing the eye exercises that I taught you every day?"

The emperor paused in rubbing his eyes, then slowly turned around and said, "I really have forgotten."

Tu Chengyu knew that was the case and said, "Father, you must remember to do it every day. Eye exercises are very good for your eyes. Do them when your eyes are tired, and they will be very effective. Also, Father, you should not sit for too long when reviewing memorials. Get up and move around every now and then. It would be best to practice the Five Animal Frolics taught by the imperial physician. If you are tired, lie down and rest. Don't push yourself."

The emperor was pleased to see his son suddenly become so talkative, but he said aloud, "Alright, I know. You're so young, why do you have so much to say? Go to your uncle's place, he's waiting for you."

Tu Chengyu mumbled a few more words before leaving at the emperor's urging.

Upon exiting the imperial camp, guards were already waiting at the gate. As soon as Tu Chengyu mentioned that he wanted to find Marquis Chengji, the guards led him towards the rear camp.

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(End of this chapter)