14. Protective Second Uncle
「Imperial Censor's Mansion – Study」
The understated and elegant study was infused with the soft scent of books. Behind the desk, the normally refined and serene Lord Imperial Censor wore a rare, gloomy expression as he stared pensively at a letter on his desk.
"Qingfeng, what do you make of Grand Consort Wise Zhao's intentions?" After a long silence, the Lord Imperial Censor finally raised his head and asked.
Not far from the desk, a dashing young man stood with his hands respectfully clasped, pondering for a moment before responding, "I, your son, may be dull-witted, but could it be an attempt to save face for the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion?"
Imperial Censor Xu shook his head. "To me, your father, it seems the imperial family is trying to disgrace the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion. A slap and then a sweet date? This tactic might work on ordinary subjects, but it's of little use against the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion."
Xu Qingfeng's sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, his expression scornful. "Regardless of how the imperial family treats the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion, they shouldn't sacrifice my cousin as a pawn!" For several generations, the Xu family had consistently produced more sons than daughters. The previous generation had only one daughter, Ye Li's mother. In Xu Qingfeng's generation, both direct branches of the Xu family had only sons. Xu Qingfeng, having always lived in the Capital City, was very protective of his cousin Ye Li, whom he had often seen during her childhood.
Imperial Censor Xu sighed softly. "In the eyes of the imperial family, who isn't expendable besides themselves? Moreover, after your aunt passed away, Li'er seldom appeared in the Capital City. Her reputation has already been thoroughly ruined by that wicked woman from the Ye Family. Prince Li is naturally unwilling to marry Li'er now."
Xu Qingfeng snorted coldly. "I think my cousin is right not to marry that Prince Li. He's not even married yet, and he's already taking things from his fiancée's family's shops without restraint! Is this how the imperial family behaves? If my cousin truly marries him, I'm afraid he'll squander every bit of the dowry our aunt left her." Remembering what Qingshuang had mentioned, anger seethed within Xu Qingfeng, and his opinion of Mo Jingli plummeted further.
Imperial Censor Xu stroked the fine beard beneath his lip and nodded. "That Prince Li is indeed not a suitable match for Li'er. Li'er has always had a mind of her own; I imagine she doesn't think much of Prince Li either. Otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed that mother-daughter pair from the Ye Family to act so brazenly." He recalled the year his younger sister passed away. He had wanted to bring his gravely ill niece back to the Xu Family to be raised, but that old woman from the Ye Family had prevented him. Yet Li'er, despite her illness, had managed to send her wet nurse and nanny back to Yunzhou, choosing to live alone in the isolated and helpless Ye Mansion. Although Ms. Wang of the Ye Family had tried to harm her several times, Li'er had skillfully avoided her schemes. Now, it seemed his niece not only possessed her mother's intelligence but also a resilience and astuteness that her mother had lacked. This filled Imperial Censor Xu with considerable pride.
"But Prince Ding…" Prince Li may be unsatisfactory, but at least he's able-bodied. The marriage the Emperor has now decreed is not only meant to humiliate the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion but also to defile the Xu family's bloodline.
"Hmph! Compared to Prince Li, I have more faith in the upbringing imparted by the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion. Prince Ding, after all, was raised by both the Regent Prince and the previous King of Ding Kingdom." As he spoke, Imperial Censor Xu lit the candlestick on the table and burned the letter to ashes before turning to his son. "How is your inquiry into the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion progressing? Your mother will be visiting the Ye Mansion in a few days; have her inform Li'er then."
Xu Qingfeng replied somewhat helplessly, "Other matters concerning the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion are straightforward, but Prince Ding himself rarely interacts with outsiders. The number of people who have seen him in recent years can be counted on one hand. It's difficult to gather any useful information. There's only one persistent rumor: they say Prince Ding jinxes his wives. Several of his previous fiancées reportedly died because he jinxed them. One was even said to have been frightened to death on their wedding night."
"Nonsense!" Imperial Censor Xu chided. As an Imperial Censor, and with his own father having students far and wide, he naturally knew more than ordinary folk. For instance, the timing of Prince Ding's first fiancée's death was exceedingly suspicious. As for the second fiancée, chosen by the current Empress Dowager, she had always been frail and sickly; it wasn't surprising that she didn't live to reach the age of marriage eligibility. Regarding the bride who supposedly died on the wedding night, Imperial Censor Xu considered the likelihood of her being scared to death to be minuscule. He had caught a distant glimpse of Prince Ding when the prince returned to court after being injured. While the scar on his face was somewhat fierce, it was far from being terrifying enough to frighten someone to death. "Enough. Go see your mother. Later, I, your father, will personally visit Prince Ding. Right now, I need to write a petition."
"Write a petition? Father, who are you planning to impeach?" Xu Qingfeng asked in surprise.
A cold sneer touched Imperial Censor Xu's gaunt face. "I will impeach Minister Ye for failing to properly educate his daughter, thereby allowing his Fourth Miss to engage in clandestine meetings with Prince Li before her engagement was even terminated."
"The Great Chu Dynasty's laws explicitly state that officials of remonstrance cannot be convicted for their speech. As long as an Imperial Censor's impeachment is not a baseless slander, the Emperor cannot punish them, no matter what they say. Who among the nobility in the Capital City is unaware of the affair between Prince Li and the Ye Family's Fourth Miss? It's just that neither the Ye Family nor the imperial family has addressed it, so others naturally feign ignorance. Now that someone is boldly submitting a petition, those otherwise idle imperial censors, along with certain upright scholars who abhor such conduct, will certainly not let this opportunity pass. On the surface, the impeachment targets Minister Ye, but the ultimate focus will undoubtedly be Ye Ying and Prince Li. I'm afraid that eventually, even matters like Prince Li brazenly taking his former fiancée's assets will be impossible to conceal."
"Won't this create enemies for Li'er?" Xu Qingfeng frowned, his voice tinged with concern.
Imperial Censor Xu chuckled faintly. "Otherwise, do you think Prince Li shows any sign of guilt towards Li'er? At the very least, our Xu Family must make its stance clear to Prince Li and His Majesty." The Xu Family was unequivocally demonstrating its intention to protect their niece. "Since we can't currently discern Grand Consort Wise Zhao's intentions, let's first create some trouble for Prince Li's Mansion. That way, they won't have the leisure to scheme against your cousin."
In his heart, Imperial Censor Xu simply couldn't comprehend why Prince Li would forsake his own niece for the Ye Family's Fourth Miss. Beyond mere appearances, one was the legitimate eldest daughter, while the other was born of a concubine. In terms of intellect and virtue, someone like Ye Ying, who relied on coquetry, would have long since been disciplined by kneeling in the ancestral hall in the Xu Family. Even regarding the dowry, whatever the Ye Family could exhaust their resources to provide would likely not compare to the bounteous dowry the Xu Family had prepared for Li'er. The difference between an upstart, nouveau riche family and a clan with a centuries-long heritage was vast indeed.
Hearing his father's words, Xu Qingfeng couldn't help but chuckle. "Father, your foresight is indeed profound. Your son will take his leave."
Watching his son close the door and depart, Imperial Censor Xu sighed softly and picked up his brush to draft the petition. He had sons: his eldest, Qingze, had accompanied his own father back to Yunzhou to study and practice filial piety. His second son, Qingfeng, had grown up by his side. Though both he and his wife hailed from scholarly families, Qingfeng had shown a talent for martial arts from a young age, while his literary abilities were merely average. Recalling Li'er's words of persuasion when she had come to offer New Year's greetings the previous year, he couldn't help but give a wry smile. Could it be that the Xu Family, with its centuries of scholarly tradition, is truly destined to produce a military general? He paused in his writing, lost in thought for a long while. Finally, Imperial Censor Xu set down his brush, rose, and walked over to a bookshelf. He expertly retrieved a book from the third shelf and glanced at the bold, vigorous calligraphy on its cover—"Military Code of the Great Ancestor Emperor"—then called out, "Attendant!"
Soon, the young attendant waiting outside pushed open the door, entered, and said respectfully, "My Lord?"
"Deliver this book to the Third Young Master. Tell him he is to finish reading it within the year and submit an essay of his reflections to me each month."
The young attendant received the book and, without asking any questions, bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Before long, Xu Qingfeng's hearty laughter echoed from a distance; evidently, the young attendant had caught up to him before he had gone far. "Your son thanks you, Father! Your son accepts your order!"
"That rascal, so indecorous!" Imperial Censor Xu muttered under his breath, yet a smile of relief couldn't help but appear on his face.